12
by Ngoc Chau
Summary: He distanced himself from her and it seemed almost an eternity before he answered her question. "Nemu, we have just gotten married." Mayuri x Nemu, a brief look at the romance of the captain and lieutenant of division squad 12, lemon and fluff galore
1. Proposal

**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach. **

**If you guys know any good fanfics with the pairing MayuriNemu that are not seen after you've filtered it, please send me the link to them. If you have any questions or prompt ideas for this pairing, please leave it in a review or message me about it. Enjoy!**

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><p>Reader, let it be known that it was not that Nemu Kurotsuchi did not appreciate her Captain's gestures or thought little of it, but simply because everyone had been too dumbfounded about the pairing and how she could've agreed to marry the Twelfth Division Captain(incestuous, they had cried and complained) that they had never bothered to ask her about the proposal. But Reader, I will tell you that Nemu Kurotsuchi was quite pleased with the proposal and could not have imagined any other done by her Captain and creator, Mayuri Kurotsuchi.<p>

She had finished all of her Captain's paperwork one day and was bringing it to his office so that he would have his chance to read over the reports for anything that he deemed incorrect and false as well as sign his seal to what he did approve on.  
>When she approached his office and saw him busily working at his large computer that resembled something of an oversized organ, she nearly stopped dead in her steps; on top of his desk had a single sheet of white that she could identify as some sort of form. Despite her calm appearance and her steady steps, her bottom lip quivered to the thought that she had forgotten one single form and the Captain would surely punish her for the mistake. He had designed her to be thorough and efficient, to never overlook anything. But to see that simple mistake clear across the dark desk almost forewarned her of a punishment that would come when she would ask him to sign the papers. It was no use trying to complete it in front of him, it was bad form and he would call it wasting his time. She had learned that lesson the hard way before with much more than a scolding(though that was included as well with the beating).<p>

"Nemu." he called to her.

The voice sent shivers up and down her spine. "Yes, Mayuri-sama." she replied obediently as she was taught to.

"Bring me that paper on that desk and a pen as well." he ordered her. His back was facing her and she felt slightly at ease to hear that his voice was not so high or so sharp. He paid no attention to her whatsoever and his eyes did not even carry the under-toned intention of bringing pain to her.

Without any hesitation, she brought him the paper and pen as he had asked and remembered to even to bring a clipboard for him so that he may write upon it. He gave her no thanks as he took it. With one sceptical gaze, he handed her the objects and ordered her tersely to sign it. Not even looking at what it was in her hand, she signed her name.

He ordered her almost immediately as she had taken it, "Give it back to me now."

She handed it over as soon as the last stroke of her name was done. With a brow raised, he sighed a deep sigh and stood up. Reflexively, she backed away from him, ready to give him space as well as prepare for any blows that should come to her if his temper was especially bad that day.

But he questioned almost tiredly, "What are you preparing for my dinner tonight?"

"Fried pike, Mayuri-sama."

There was a sort of light in his golden eyes that seemed to almost say, Reader, if you would like to imagine, as a very soft _'Aahhhh…. That's it.'_ Then he signed the paper given to himself with ease and returned it back to her, telling her to place it on the desk. She had only did what he had told her to do when she suddenly turned around and saw him looming over her.

She bit her tongue to not allow herself to gasp but felt compelled to let out a small moan when he wrapped his arms around her and brought her close to his chest. They stayed still in the embrace for a few small moments. Nemu knew what was happening, she was not so sheltered to social customs that she was not able to identify the gesture as a hug. But never had she been hugged by this man before, by the women who called themselves her friends, yes; but never by this man who had before delighted in seeing fear and panic in others' eyes. She tried to think of reasons why he should be hugging her, perhaps he was administering some sort of drug to her, maybe he was testing her guard.

Nonetheless, she suddenly felt the urge to raise her arms from hanging limply at her sides to him, the sensation of the white haori was cold under her warm palms. It was when both her hands touched his back and she participated in the hug as well that his hold on her grew tighter and she could hear him breathe a bit more heavily than she heard him before. In response, she held him back, more ardent in the endearment. For a moment or two, their grip on each other was tight and secure, like they thought they could melt into each others' skin if they held each other long enough.

Then his arms loosened and Nemu asked him, "Mayuri-sama, are you alright?"

He did not smile, nor did he initiate any more gentle caresses to her.  
>He distanced himself from her and it seemed almost an eternity before he answered her question. "Nemu, we have just gotten married."<p>

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><p><strong>In case you're wondering, the last sheet he made her sign was a marriage license. If you notice, he had made her sign it first, then he signed it himself. I wanted to portray him as always making Nemu go first and that it would be his choice in the end no matter what, not hers. She wouldn't be the one who would decide to be married by signing her name, he would do that after making sure that he had her where he wanted. I could not imagine Mayuri being romantic, going on one knee and professing love to Nemu but hopefully this will be closer to him. <strong>

**Please review!**


	2. Not Fair

**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach**

**To start off, not a song fic, the song is just there to sort of get into the mood of the oneshot and I thought that it would be good as an introduction.**  
><strong>If you want to know, the song is called Not Fair by Lilly Allen. <strong>

**So, this takes place after Mayuri had proposed to Nemu and they are now married. So this is a follow up to "Prompt: Proposal". **

**I hope you enjoy reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please read and review. **

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><p><em>He's not like all them other boys <em>  
><em>They're all so dumb and immature <em>  
><em>There's just one thing that's getting in the way <em>  
><em>When we go up to bed, you're just no good <em>  
><em>It's such a shame <em>

_I look into your eyes, I want to get to know you _  
><em>And then you make this noise and it's apparent it's all over <em>  
><em>It's not fair <em>  
><em>And I think you're really mean <em>  
><em>I think you're really mean<br>__I __think you're really mean _

_Oh you're supposed to care _  
><em>But you never make me scream <em>  
><em>You never make me scream <em>  
><em>It's not fair <em>  
><em>And it's really not okay <em>  
><em>It's really not okay <em>  
><em>It's really not okay <em>  
><em>Oh, you're supposed to care <em>  
><em>But all you do is take <em>  
><em>Yeah, all you do is take <em>

_Oh I lie here in the wet patch _  
><em>In the middle of the bed <em>  
><em>I'm feeling pretty damn hard done by <em>  
><em>I spent ages giving head <em>  
><em>Then I remember all the nice things that you ever said to me <em>  
><em>Maybe I'm just overreacting, maybe you're the one for me <em>

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><p>Everything seemed to be mocking her.<p>

To be honest, she had expected a little bit more out of marriage from what her friends often talked about. They spoke of how they would not know whether or not to take a leave to have a child, to retire altogether, or perhaps keep working. Some spoke of what sort of wedding they should have, whether there would even be a wedding, the costs of dress and food… Honeymoons would be fun, perhaps they could visit the real world for R&R(what was R&R?).  
>Yet in their discussion of engagement and married lives, the idea of who should be the groom never came up. She assumed that the spot was open for whoever wanted it.<p>

Now, she supposed that he was acting a bit more friendlier, he did not raise his voice to her so often(so often doesn't mean not at all) and he seldom hit her when his anger got the better of him(he had begun to warn her occasionally, screaming, "Nemu! You fucking bitch! Get out of here before I take you apart again!"), and they began habitually sleeping in the same bed: sometimes with as little affection towards each other as brother and sister, sometimes with their arms and legs tangled together as they embraced.  
>Or perhaps he was being more cruel. How, Reader, could Kurotstuchi Mayuri be any more cruel than he already was?<p>

First, he kissed her. Kissed? Now, Reader, you may ask how that is cruel; did he bite her or punch her while he kissed her? No, he simply kissed her: his lips would press to hers when they were alone and as sudden as they started, it would end just as sudden. And he touched her a great deal, his hand would find its way to a patch of bare skin on her: the space on the back of her neck between the bottom of the red choker and the collar of the uniform, under her arm, under her thigh, her calves…. It was cruel torture to her because such actions left her feeling inadequate and wanting more. It never went farther than him kissing her and touching her since they signed the official document that would join and bind their souls and hearts together; Reader, they never consummated the marriage afterwards.  
>She was always left unsatisfied and frustrated from then on. He remained indifferent. It was perplexing that as his daughter, she had partook of greater passions and relations with him; rather than currently as his wife. Why did he marry her after all? To bound her to him? She was already called his 'daughter' rather than 'creation'. She had been his other self, his shadow, his devoted servant and follower, his daughter, his lieutenant, and now she was his wife. Every title that he gave her tied her closer to him, no chance of ever breaking away - not that she would ever want to, anyway.<p>

He was making his rounds in the labs, checking to see that no one was slacking off and everything was going accordingly. She tried to be nonchalant around him, to show him that his presence only motivated her for work, that her stomach was not left with butterflies and her knees weak. It did not work.

She felt him come behind her, his sword pressed between her legs, between her cheeks. Something else could be there, she thought, something that the both of them would enjoy being where his sword was. He loomed over her, his chin on her shoulder. When he was not so frightening, she liked having him this close to her: the backs of her knees against his hakama, her back warmed, his arms on both sides of her. His voice was heavy in her ear. For a second, she felt dizzy, his words too slow or too fast to suddenly comprehend.

All she could say was, "Yes, Mayuri-sama."

His hand, the long nail poking directly over her core, caressed her thigh, giving it a licentious squeeze. "Good girl." his teeth brushed by the lobe of her ear, "Then get to it."

Then he was suddenly gone from the room.

She wondered what was wrong with her. It had been almost a month since they signed the marriage certificate and yet he had made no move to her. If anything, he had avoided any chance for them to have sex; instead he appeared to mock her, tease her, make her frustrated.

"Fukutaicho, what're you doing?" a voice next to her asked. Nemu slowly looked up to see Akon smoking a cigarette with a clipboard in his hand. She could not answer, to be honest, she wasn't sure what she was doing anymore. Akon nudged her out of the way and started it for her, explaining what had been the Captain's instructions. When he was done and Nemu was able to continue, he asked her, "Did something happen between you and the Chief?"  
>She wasn't sure if she should tell Akon that they had gotten married earlier. Should she? Mayuri trusted him, Mayuri liked him, Mayuri esteemed him…<br>Her hesitance must've been too long for him because he stated out loud, "You seem distracted." She apologized to him and he left her to continue her work.

She was created in how Kurotsuchi Mayuri saw how a woman should appear, every inch of her was his own design. Yet he did not seem to be tempted by it. He had rarely used her for such things before and when he did, he saw it as a chore or a method to relieve himself instead of a pleasure and privilege to have as most men usually did with their lovers. Her friends had told her that she was pretty, but was she pretty enough for him? Was she too cold for him? He had made her that way and if he didn't like it, what was wrong? Before she had signed that paper last month, before they were married, she had felt somewhat at peace with her life; afterwards, she felt horribly inadequate, Nemu felt his lack of desire all the more acutely than ever before.  
>Perhaps she should go ask Matsumoto how to seduce a man without him knowing it, how to sexually appeal to him. Matsumoto would know, Nemu thought, she would see her after her work was done or perhaps she would confront her about it at the next Shinigami Women's meeting.<p>

She finished with the work and now went to seek out her husband. She didn't need to ask, she could just feel him in her bones, in her heart… Nemu went into Lab 4, Mayuri was there consulting with other scientists about installing new cameras. He appeared to notice her presence because his golden eyes rolled to look at her.

He left the shinigami he was talking to, hanging and unsure on what else to proceed, and approached her. "What took so long? Did you just finish now?" there was annoyance in his voice. He was never gentle in front of the others.

She nodded her head, "Yes, Mayuri-sama. The work is completed."

He 'tched' her and told her to follow him to his office where he would give her some paperwork that needed to be filled out and then delivered. As he lead her out of the room, she overheard one of the others tell the certain shinigami that it was best to do what he had to do up to what "the Chief" had told him and then blame it on somebody he didn't like if it was wrong. He added that it was most likely he "would get killed for botching it up, anyway."

The doors to his main office stood stoically and tall. It slid open for them to enter. The room was kept at a sombre tone just the way he liked it, he never liked it to be overly bright because exposure was usually bad instead of good for his work. Still, the lights were bright enough at his work spaces that he wouldn't go blind in the dark. She made sure that the doors were closed behind her.

"Nemu." he said, his voice shook her.

She turned around, their eyes met from a distance. Could he see in her what she wanted, how she felt? She could've sworn that she could see his expression change to one that was frustrated as she was.

_I look into your eyes I want to get to know you. _

She didn't know where the words came from, a tune perhaps from what one of her friends brought from the Real World. His hands came up slightly, there was the tapping of his steps as he went to her.

He pushed her against the door, she could feel the life behind it. Kissing her passionately, his hands reached up her short skirt and eagerly fondled her breast. She responded in kind; her hands gripped the back of his haori, her back arched to meet and feel all of him against her. She felt the growl in the back of his throat, his sword touched her just right and she wished that it was another part of him, one that would be better suited for such a situation to come inside.

His hand traced upwards on her thigh in such a way that it felt compelled to swing upwards and hook itself around his waist. The guard of his zanpakuto pressed into her. As he muffled her shriek of rapture, his hips moved in such a rhythm to her that she felt what could best be described as blissful and full. The door made a distinct tapping sound to their actions and Nemu inwardly feared that the other shinigami on the other side would suspect something about it. But he didn't seem to care what he was doing and she thought that she shouldn't either. Hopefully, she thought that he would finish this time, it didn't matter how quick, just that he would finish it with her…

They kissed each other, breathlessly; his tongue teasing hers as she tried to swallow it whole in her mouth. Between breaths, she chanted his name over and over, "Mayuri-sama! Mayuri-sama!…" Her voice sounded shrill and light in her ears, was it always like that or only when he held her like so?

He grunted her name as his hips grinded and pulsed against hers, his hands everywhere on her, "Nemu.."

She tried to pull him closer to her, until she realized that they were as close as they would ever be in their clothed state, "Yes, Mayuri-sama…" She panted out her breaths, never wanting to let go. His hips shifted in such a way that the screams were coming out, just a little bit more!

But then he was still and he whispered in a dangerous tone, "Nemu. Get back to work." He placed the distance between them too abruptly, she had to lean against the doorway for balance.

She could feel her skin grow hot then cool, her face blushing and flushing. The sensations of pleasure from before were not enough to hold off the feelings of anger and frustration from coming back and taking over again. She controlled them well under her facade. He disappeared in a shunpo and came back almost immediately, his hands laden with a stack of papers and forms. He handed it to her and told her to fix herself, she looked like she had just woken up and hadn't bothered with anything. With one arm, she adjusted her skirt and the opening of her kimono.

As she turned around towards the door, his fingertips touched the spot behind her leg just below the hem of her kimono, she felt that heat in her stomach come back with a vengeance to turn around and force him, incite him to take her. But she resisted with every ounce of will she had.  
>"Nemu. I'm expecting you to finish those and come back for more before the day is done, do you understand that?"<p>

_'Come back for more what?_' she mentally asked herself.

He shooed her out the doors of his office.

Going out, she wanted to scream, she wanted to thrash. But she kept her composure and nodded her head, "Yes, Mayuri-sama." He had that devilish grin on his face, then he turned to go into his office.  
>She turned around slowly, exiting. She could not pay attention to the looks that she received when she was back out in the halls and headed to a lab to complete this work. It was not fair, she thought, that he could feel so easy about this. She knew that he felt something, that he wanted it too. Then why didn't he ever finish it? He would smile and laugh at her while she had to keep a good poker face.<p>

Not even able to scream and complain, her fingers curled into a fist, drawing a fine bit of blood on her skin.

It just wasn't fair.

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><p><strong>Just to clarify, Nemu is not a virgin. She's had sex before, especially with Mayuri. It's just that she somewhat expected married life with him to be more intimate and romantic than it was before, yet it seemed to be that he was fooling around with her more to tease her andor that he is not as sexually attracted to her as he should. **

**So what did you think of this?**

**Please review!**


	3. Influence

**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach.****  
><strong>**  
>So... this is rated M, with limey goodness. Hope you like it and will r&amp;r. <strong>

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><p><em><span>1. Be confident about yourself. If you feel beautiful, you are beautiful.<span>_

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><p>Despite the advice that she had heeded from Rangiku, Nemu was feeling horribly nervous. Just as she was brushing out her hair, she was having serious second thoughts about this; if he didn't want to have sex with her, she should just leave it instead of trying to provoke him like so. But she had needs as a woman, needs that he had at least tried to make time for to help her with her development when she was a lot younger and seldom before, but now as his wife… he was just torturing her with it!<p>

Reader, she had gone to see Matsumoto Rangiku when the work day was over, requesting if she could leave early to prepare his dinner at home. He had given her a somewhat confused, possibly it was exasperated, look and told her no. Until they were alone for a moment and he whispered in her ear that she could leave but he wanted pike for that night. Acting indifferent, she had bid him goodbye with a bow and promised to make him pike just the way he seemed to prefer it.  
>She had gone shopping as quick as possible and luckily sought out Rangiku, requesting her for advice to seduce and tempt men. Her expression had been one that was almost indescribable, Reader, but I will try my best to attempt it. Her eyes were wide with surprise and bright with curiosity, her mouth a gasp. There was the odd cross of emotions spreading over her visage of someone all at once pleased and nosey, surprised and disturbed.<p>

Rangiku asked Nemu what was her reason for wanting to learn how and she explained honestly that she was not feeling attractive enough. Tears immediately welled up in Rangiku's eyes and she grabbed Nemu in a tight embrace. "Oh, Nemu-chan! Don't ever let people tell you that you're not pretty! You have a chest and great legs, better than Nana-chan who stuffs her bra!"  
>However, after trying to comfort Nemu about her appearance, she suddenly had the look of a cat who trapped the canary. "Nemu-chan? Just who is he? Is he someone I know? Is he a captain or a lieutenant? Is he an officer, at least? Older?"<p>

Nemu did not want to tell her about Mayuri, but she did not want to lie nor could she. She described briefly that he was a number of decades older than her, he worked closely with her in the 12th division, and he was a very intelligent man…

Reader, Matsumoto Rangiku had somehow guessed that Nemu was in love with the 3rd seat of the 12th division, Akon. And though she did not exactly approve of him, he seemed to be a good match for her friend: both of them intelligent, a bit odd and quiet, and she occasionally saw them talking with each other when her father wasn't around. Still, as long as he didn't beat her and he was nice: she was okay with it.  
>In just a few short minutes, Rangiku pointed out some tips in seduction and how to lure a man to bed because they were, after all, "only fish."<p>

Nemu had thanked her for the help and immediately set off for home to get everything ready if it should all go according to plan that night. She had prepared their dinner: white rice, cabbage soup, fried pike with ginger, and tofu soaked in tomato sauce; tidied up what rooms that would surely need the clean up such as his office and her bedroom(dusty for she had not slept in it since the marriage), even took a quick shower to cleanse herself, and when all of the evening's necessities were completed by her standards… She went back upstairs to her room and gazed at herself in the long-length mirror. Reader, this brings us back to the beginning of our story once more.

Nemu nervously fingered the ribbon that she had used to tie her hair back.

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><p><em><span>2. Let your hair down. Men like to see women with a nice head of hair.<span>_

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><p>This tip was, at least, making her feel somewhat better. Mayuri did in fact like her hair when it was down and so with that thought in mind, she tucked it away into the opening of her kimono. She wondered if she should leave it cascading down her back or perhaps move it to rest on one sole shoulder. She considered a neck to be sexy as what she had seen from some of the more obscene materials that Rangiku had shown her whenever she dragged her to the 8th division to see its lieutenant and they would run into the captain. She could not decide and so she parted it evenly in two and placed the hair on both shoulders, the back of the neck and collar bare for all to see. She felt satisfied with the look and then thought back about the tips that Rangiku had given her. Nemu thought to herself, What else had Rangiku had advised her?<br>She closed her eyes and sought to remember the words of wisdom she had been told in dealing with the opposite sex.

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><p><em><span>3. Wear something sexy: lace, silk, leather… Whatever! It just has to be sexy!<span>_

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><p>Yes! She ran to her closet and looked at the assortment of clothes she owned. Reader, despite how mistreated Nemu was and how it appeared she never wore anything nice at all, it was only because she seldom wore anything nice and when she did, it was only in the presence of Kurotsuchi Mayuri(occasionally in front of their closest scientists whenever they went out for dinner), when in fact she possibly possessed clothes that would make any girl envious of her.<br>The bigger surprise was that most of the nicest clothes did not come from any store at any of her friends' prompting to buy, but they were occasional birthday gifts from Mayuri's own fingers! Most of it was comprised of kimono like designs(Think Wa-Lolita, Reader) and schoolgirl outfits, the rest were a rather miscellaneous mix. She wasn't sure what could actually count as sexy, a few of her friends had often commented that her uniform was rather provocative. Yet it had no effect on Mayuri during most of the day.

She scanned through the closet, her gloved hands(she would take them off when he came home) touching the material and fingering it for the closest feel to lace or silk(she knew that she possessed no leather). After much thought, she finally picked out what she was going to wear and pulled it out of her closet.  
>She decided to wear an old kimono that had been given to her within the first year of her creation. As she put it on, she almost marvelled at how long it had been since she had worn it: it was definitely one of her favourites in those days and she wondered why she had not worn it more often. The design was of white butterflies on black, white ripples coursing throughout the pattern. She adjusted the wide sleeves so that the many layers of lace and fringe could be shown to match its burgundy skirt. It was not intended to wear with tabi, but she had received one the other day: long velvety black ones that reached high up to mid thigh and how shiny black lace at its opening to tighten it.<p>

She regarded herself in the mirror and halfway considered to take off the long tabi but left it on. Nemu tied the white obi around, finishing it off with a butterfly knot beneath her bust in the front. She supposed that it could be counted as sexy, it showed off her chest a lot and she considered whether or not to wear a tank top beneath it as it was intended. But she decided to forego it as the next tip did say to:

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><p><em><span>4. Show off your chest as much as you can. It's only sexy until they can see cleavage.<span>_

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><p>She tugged at the opening of the kimono, making sure that anyone would be able to see the swell and slope of her breasts at virtually every angle. As she adjusted the obi to elevate her chest, there was the sound of a door opening and she appeared almost instantly before the person who just entered.<p>

Mayuri came in rather sluggishly, his steps a tad slower and heavier than they were during the early hours. She bowed to him, her hair nearly touching the floor. "Mayuri-sama, please let me take your coat." Nemu offered and she held out her hands to receive it.

He handed her his captain's haori, he ran his long fingers through his shaggy hair and sighed loudly. Overlooking her completely, he made his way to the kitchen; she followed faithfully behind him, her hands tucked into each other. She told him that his dinner was hot and ready, simply waiting for him to dig in. He turned around and as he did, his eyes widened. She felt at ease when she noticed the slight blush appear on his white cheeks and it quickly disappeared.

Mayuri asked, almost sounding indignant, "What are you wearing?"

She laid her hands out over the skirt and answered the obvious. "It's a kimono, Mayuri-sama."

He rolled his eyes and snarled at her, "Yes, I know it's a kimono! I made it, didn't I? But what are you wearing that for? Are you planning on going out tonight with the other females?" He crossed his arms over his chest and headed towards their small dining room where she had already set up their dinner.

Following after him, she answered, "No, Mayuri-sama. I wanted… I wanted to wear this tonight."

He raised an unnoticeable brow and the tips of his mouth turned downwards, the age lines on the sides suddenly looking more accented than ever before. "Hm… Is there some special occasion I should know about that would compel you to wear that?" He pointed a long bony finger at her, touching the skin of her chest. Then his finger moved up higher until it twirled and wrapped itself in her hair. His face came closer to her, his mouth opening wider and she thought that he was about to mark her with a love bite. But what came from his was a hiss of, "Well?" His cheek touched hers, she was so glad that his mask was off.

Nemu shook and shivered beneath him, scenes and thoughts of all things licentious were suddenly conjured up by his contact. I want us to have sex, she thought, instead what came out of her mouth was, "No, Mayuri-sama. If you do not like me wearing this tonight, I will go and change."

She was relieved when he answered nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter, I want my dinner now and I'm not going to wait for you to change. Just leave it on."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama." she said with a nod.

He walked past her, and as their shoulders met his golden eyes looked up at her. "Nemu, what are you looking at?" he asked most suspiciously. He didn't even bother waiting for an answer and his back was already turned to her.

What she said next, she had not meant but it had simply slipped out, "At you."

He stopped in his tracks and looked at her, something wild in his eyes and his teeth bared. She nervously fidgeted with her fingers as he continued watching her watching him.  
>Then his brows furrowed and he barked, "Don't just stand there gawking, we don't have all night!"<p>

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><p><em><span>5. Keep close to him and subtly touch him - tease him!<span>_

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><p>She repeated this tip over and over to herself. She served him his rice and he sat down at his usual spot, sitting cross legged with this knees almost spanning the entire width of their dinner table. Actually feeling a little bit more confident since he had not ordered her to change out of the dress, she sat close to him on the adjacent side of the table: the side of her arm coming in contact with his knee.<p>

He flinched and looked almost accusingly at her, "What are you doing, Nemu?" He shifted away from her.

She didn't hurt or offend him, did she? She shifted away from him as well and bowed her head low as she answered, her hands placing the bowl of rice and chopsticks directly in front of her on the table. "Forgive me, Mayuri-sama. But… I wanted to sit next to you tonight."

Reader, it was perhaps the most sincerest sight ever and anyone(possibly not Mayuri, but who knows?) would've cried at the sight of this young girl with such honest and sad eyes, hopeful to sit next to the man she loved.

His eyes widened and there seemed to be disbelief in his tone, despite how even his voice was. "You wanted to sit next to me?"

She nodded her head, "Yes, sir. But if you do not want me to, I will move to my spot across the table." Getting up halfway, she hoped he would stop her.

"It's fine, just eat. Geez, what's wrong with you tonight?" And he did. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back down to where she had chosen to sit.

"My deepest apologies, Mayuri-sama." that she said with a small smile on her lips and began eating the dinner.

Throughout the dinner, she noticed that his wrist would sometimes touch the top of her hand and there would be the slightest bit of pressure from him. In turn, she tried her best to initiate the most contact as she could, yet still keep it subtle. His arm, his hand; she was almost sure that she had heard his breath hitch up when her knee touched his. Reader, squee if you must, if you want to; but as Nemu did not detect it so well as I, the writer, did, Kurotsuchi Mayuri nervously kept his eyes on everything but his young wife at his side. When Nemu felt that she had initiated enough contact, she thought of the next tip.

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><p><em><span>6. Flirt. Hard. But don't make it obvious.<span>_

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><p>Was she not already flirting? She decided to skip this step, not really understanding it. However, the next tip proved useless as well.<p>

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><p><em><span>7. Get personal about it. Do something that would appeal only to him.<span>_

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><p>He was a man that was appealed by many things, but perhaps the most personal was that he liked his work as his pleasure. But there was a problem with that tip for a man like her husband. Where was she going to get a corpse to dissect at this hour? She skipped that step as well and presumed with the 8th tip of what Rangiuku had given to her.<p>

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><p><em><span>8. A lot of sake will help, it'll set the mood. But! If you give him too much, he won't be able to get it up!<span>_

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><p>She waited until he was done with his dinner and when he appeared full and satisfied with it, asking for a cup of tea, she instead sought something else from the kitchen.<p>

"Sake?" he asked.

She came even closer to him, her arms pushing her chest up higher to show off her assets for him, and poured him a glass. She suppressed her smile as she saw another blush on his face and it quickly cleared away, she was sure that she was blushing like mad as well(she was indeed, Reader). She nodded in response to his question, "Yes, Mayuri-sama." and carefully handed him the glass. Their hands touched and she would've jolted had it not been for her incredibly control of will and the habit of often biting her tongue.

He took a sip and she watched with cloudy eyes as the tip of his tongue slipped from between his lips and licked a corner of his mouth. He eyed her cautiously, "Nemu. Honestly, what is the occasion for tonight?"

She slightly bowed her head forward once more, her hair pouring over her shoulder like fine strings, and she watched him drink. "Nothing in particular, Mayuri-sama."

And Reader, unbeknownst to Mayuri or Nemu, her smile was rather sly as she told him that.

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><p><em><span>9. When it seems that he's getting into the mood too, don't jump into it. Build up to it.<span>_

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><p>She was currently thinking on how to proceed with that step because it appeared to be the most crucial one. Perhaps she should chance fate and sit on his lap? But her train of thought was interrupted by him standing up and telling her, "I feel tired, Nemu. Clean up. I'm going to get this paint off of me." It did not even sound like a hint that he would want her like that in bed for after he had just said that, he nodded and his face looked angry as though at himself for not being able to fend off sleep. She could feel the fatigue rolling off of him in waves.<p>

"Yes, Mayuri-sama." Not showing her disappointment, she immediately began cleaning up, her mind still thinking of what to do next when the last tip presented itself to her.

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><p><em><span>10. If all else fails, just pretend that you need help and milk it, make him feel like he's big for helping you. Then you can repay him how you want.<span>_

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><p>Though he was a lot nicer, asking him for help seemed to be a bad idea… And Reader, for once our Nemu had a devious idea that would've made any woman applaud her and her father actually smile if she was using it as a technique to distract an enemy and have him underestimate her.<p>

She finished cleaning up and stood at the foot of the stairs. There was still the sound of water running and she assumed that he was getting the paints off of himself or possibly washing. She inhaled and carefully picked a spot on her leg that would not impair any of her motor skills or flexibility for what she was about to do. Pinching the piece of flesh between her fine nails, she tore it out like a bandaid and winced slightly at the pain. Because of the tabi stockings, she could not feel as the blood trailed down her leg and the only evidence for her that the cut had been deep enough was the piece of flesh still held by her nails and the blood all over her fingers. She disposed of it quickly, swallowing the piece of flesh and licking away the blood.  
>Then she made her way upstairs to bait her husband, hoping that this last step would work because she was literally out of choices now. Discreetly, she made sure that the blood would run on her foot, not wanting to get any of it on the floors and be forced to wash it.<p>

She passed by the bathroom in the hall where he was currently washing his face, though the paint was not so easy to get off in so little time. He had apparently changed into his navy hiyoku and his blue hair contrasted greatly to the whites of his self.

She faced him and bowed. "Goodnight, Mayuri-sama."

Still washing his face and not even looking at her, he asked, as the cloth he was scrubbing over his face muffed some of his words, "You're going to bed?"

Look at me! Look at me! She was thinking. Her toes nervously dug into the floor, uneasy that the blood was already getting on it. "Yes, Mayuri-sama. But is there anything that you would require of me to do before I retire to sleep?"

He looked up at her, water droplets dripped down his face and she found the sight utterly delectable.

His eyes widened at her and his mouth gaped in surprise. He approached with her long strides and pointed a finger at her and high heaven, "Nemu! You're getting blood everywhere!"

She feigned dumbness and surprise, looking down at the blood that was pooling around her heel. She bowed and tried to induce worry in her voice, "My deepest apologies, Mayuri-sama. I suddenly felt something sharp but I did not think that-"

"Goodness, you are such a hassle!" he interrupted her. He pulled her into the bathroom that he had previously been occupying and hit her sharply on the top of her head, scolding her for getting blood on their floor that would have to be cleaned up later. With delicate hands, she raised the skirt for him to properly see the wound and she blushed more from the fact that she was practically putting everything on the line to seduce her husband into their bed, rather than the fact that she was modest about him seeing her vulnerable.  
>He was surprisingly gentle with her; though his words were anything but nice as he called her clumsy and boorish, his hands were still over the self-inflicted gash and rubbing ointment on it to cease the bleeding and speed up the closing of the wound. A wound such as that was not even worth the use of his Hojiku-Zai, he informed her. She apologized to him for her clumsiness and her inexcusable mistake that he had to help her. He told her that she should be sorry, he was very tired and only wanted sleep, but she had hurt himself and it was his obligation to make sure that she was maintained.<p>

Her body gave her away as he touched just a little higher than he had, her legs jerked at the sensation and her toes curled. She saw his golden eyes stare down the length of her long legs, his smile widening as the seconds passed. She breathed in deep, her heart racing a mile a minute. There was the thump of his knee hitting the floor and then she felt both his hands on the back of her thigh, rising higher and higher upwards till she felt his fingertips slip under her panties.

She gasped out loud, "Mayuri-sama!"

There was a chuckle from his and suddenly, his form loomed over her, her lips parted for him. He literally swept her off her feet, he carried her in his arms and swiftly took her to his - their - bed. The lights were dim, its only source coming from outside the door. Her stomach had butterflies fluttering about, his heart was ready to burst, her palms grew wetter as did the space between her legs, aching to be filled by him. She arched her back ever so slightly, wanting him to notice her chest and feel aroused by it.

The kimono slipped slightly off of her bare shoulder. She looked at his face, the white paint still covering his entire form and some of the black creating an effect of a masquerade mask on him. There was something about his expression that made her feel and think that he was as frustrated as her, that he was left wanting her as she did for him. The bed creaked as he moved above her. His knee touched her inner thigh, his shoulders were square as his arms were straight and held him at a level high above her. Her hands rested atop the pillow above her head, her arms raised and laid on top of the bed to give him a full and unblocked access to her body and the opening of her kimono.

He shifted his weight to one arm, the bed creaked once more, the other hand caressing her. The edge of his hand traced the side of her face, down her neck, over her exposed chest, and down the hill of her breast to the obi.  
>He fingered the white obi and bow, his fingers hooking into its loops and she thought that he wanted it to be undone. But as her hands came to the knot of the obi to undo it for him, he batter her hands away and his own returned to its original position near the top of her head. They held each other's gaze, her green ones looking deep into his yellow ones. Her hand hesitantly came up and touched his shoulder, he was cold under her fingertips.<p>

"Mayuri-sama." she whispered to him.

He furrowed his brows and sat back on his knees; she remained still on the bed, still watching him through bright eyes. His fingers touched her leg, grazed over the spot behind her thigh to which she bent it upwards for him. His lips brushed by the top of her knee and she shivered at the sensation. Excruciatingly slow, he peeled the bloodstained tabi socks off of her legs and threw it to the ground. His fingers prodded and petted her legs from thigh to calf, bringing the limb to hook over his shoulder as he continued to softly examine it. She breathed slowly through her nose, wanting to stay silent to egg him on to actually finish this time instead of leaving her wanting for more.

To her surprise, he touched her there in her special spot, she arched her back towards him in response. A meek cry, helpless in tone and expression, escaped her mouth. He laughed and grabbed her arm, wrenching her up to his level. His mouth crashed into hers painfully. She felt electric, jolts going through every one of her nerves and fingers and hairs and toes. She held onto his shoulders, clawing and gripping.  
>There was the sound of her kimono ripping, but as far as she could tell there were no holes or tears yet to be seen. Both of his hands simultaneously pulled it off her shoulders completely while the other searched eagerly and frantically under her skirt and pulled away the cotton panties she wore underneath. He pushed her back on the bed, practically smothering her face into the pillows while his hand gripped the back of her neck. There was the sound of more cloth moving, something in her stirred at the thought of what could be coming next. She felt him, felt it touch against the back of her leg near her rear and stiffened. He spread her knees apart wider, she felt the coarse hair of him tickling her vulnerably. The heat burned from her diaphragm to the womanhood below, moist and aching to be filled by him and only him. She silently begged in her mind to have him to herself.<p>

When he entered her and filled her, she wanted to cry from the fullness of it. "N-Nemu!" he grunted as he pushed into her. In a sound that was crossed between a sigh and a scream, she uttered his name too, her hands digging into the mattress and her knuckles turning whiter than the sheets. All she could concentrate on was the feel of his hands everywhere, groping her and handling her so well. She loved the coolness of his thighs on the backs of hers, how it somehow made her think that it put her closer to him. Every time she felt his front touch her back, her heart skipped a beat. She hated doing it this way, there was almost more hurt than pleasure; but if he wanted it that, who was she to counter it? She was happy as long as he was happy. He shifted, something shifted, and she let out a screech, her elbows giving away and she fell on her face.

Her moans filled the room, soon escalating to more and more screaming. He pushed himself into her: one hand steadying her lower back while the other massaged the flesh between her thigh and hip. Heavy breaths filled the space in between; Reader, he was a quiet lover after all: preferring to hear the screams of others instead of his own. He moved slowly inside her, taking his time with her and she appreciated it greatly. It was seldom that this was ever spent leisurely, more so in haste for he had often viewed it more times than not as a burden of human nature and they were a meticulous sort who lived for work more than sex.

Reader, there was almost something poignant in it: for her to forget where they both began and ended; that as she reared her head back in lighted headedness and ecstasy, he had buckled over, shuddering her name, and their heads barely skimmed each others'. The blue of his hair dangled over her dark locks and the fine hairs ticked her hairline. His hands gripped her hips tighter, almost raising them higher while her legs bent more obscenely and tangled themselves around his arms: the soles of her feet against his scarred shoulder blades. She could feel it, the crash of it all about to come down on her.  
>When suddenly, he stopped and pulled away from her. He did not finish. He refused to finish again. The absence of him was bitter and she cried out more from the frustration of yet another near coupling ended too soon by him, than from her own release. She thought of that over and over in her mind as she bit on her tongue to keep from screaming again. He detangled himself from her and got off the bed, she wanted to grab a hold of him and pull him back down to continue and complete what he had started but she dared not to do something so bold as that. Instead, she resigned herself to watch as he fixed himself and his clothes up.<br>_It_ was still in want of her but it soon turned flaccid then dead.

"Nemu." he stated as he turned to look at her.

She got up immediately. "Yes, Mayuri-sama." she answered to him.

He smiled that smile of his, teeth bared like someone hungry and laughing. "I just thought of something to look after and so I'm going to need my pills."

She bowed her head and ran to the medicine cabinet in his bathroom, the pills right before her eyes as she opened the mirror. She brought it back to him, a container of a dozen pills or so: little black balls with happy-looking white skulls decorating it. He swallowed three and his countenance almost brightened, became more vibrant. He headed to the door and she faithfully followed behind him, adjusting her robe.

When suddenly he turned around and eyed her, the golden glare shining bright through the darkness, "Nemu. This is something I'm going to do by myself, it cannot have any interference. I should be back before the morning, stay here and go to sleep. You aren't any help or use to me tired."

She nodded and returned to his bed. His hand was heavy on her shoulder as she lowered herself down on the bed, her legs hanging off its edge. He playfully patted her cheek once, twice, thrice…

Then he leaned in close to her that for a second, she thought that he was going to kiss her goodbye, but he withheld himself from closing the distance. Mayuri whispered low, the voice sending shivers through her skin and inducing goose bumps, "Stay away from that air-headed Matsumoto Rangiku: she's a bad influence on you."  
>He recoiled slowly upwards and headed for the door, picking up his zanpakuto that was leaning against the sword guard he kept in his bedroom. He had only walked out for a few seconds and returned back to the doorway. The hope in her rose that he should come back to her but with a humorous smile on his face, he told her, "On second thought. Clean up your blood in the hallway before you go to sleep. When I come back, it had better be spotless."<p>

She nodded her head and stood up, "Yes, Mayuri-sama."

But as he left the doorway and she heard the slam of the door, her legs gave way and she fell back on their bed. Her legs curled up on the edge, the knees touching close to her chin, and she squeezed her fist. She wondered what was wrong with her that he did not to want her when she was practically begging him and offering herself freely to him.  
>Nemu laid down into the bed, she felt a sting in the pit of her stomach and something wet spilled across the bridge of her nose down her cheek.<p>

Now she forced herself to get up and clean up her blood.

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><p><strong>Please review<strong>


	4. Reprobate

**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach**

**So, this sort of explains why Mayuri hasn't consumated the marriage with Nemu yet. You know, writing from his view is really hard... **

**So, please read and review. If there is anything that should be corrected or changed, please leave it in a review or send it in a PM. Enjoy!**

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><p><em>A masochist and a sadist met each other one night and decided that it must've been kismet that brought them together. <em>  
><em>And so when they were up alone in the bedroom, the masochist got onto his knees and begged, "Please! Hurt me! Beat me! Humiliate me! Make me suffer!" <em>

_And the Sadist replied with a smile, "No."_

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><p>Kurotsuchi Mayuri had never heard such a joke, Reader.<p>

But he had discovered another way to amuse his sadism similar to the joke I had just given. Imagine: in what he did before to his daughter had tired him out quickly, broken his knuckles and twisted his heels, had him waste valuable time to hurt her and change his bloody clothes afterwards, and had been a cause for the numerous reports that he had to file out daily what were the reasons for the injuries inflicted on the lieutenant this time… Then the idea of using pleasure as torture had come to him. If he would ever be honest, he would confess that he had gotten the idea from Kyoraku Shunsui.  
>It had been about two days or so after he and Nemu had signed the marriage certificate when he spied the 8th Division Captain talking to his wife and his jealousy had him intervene. Shunsui was handing her some sort of book and Mayuri could detect the hint of blushing across the drunkard's cheeks. Both had not expected them and so jumped when he made his presence known. He demanded to know what they were doing for surely the kimono wearing captain had someone else to bother and Nemu was needed for work.<br>Nemu gave her apologies with a bow. Shunsui, on the other hand, carelessly told him that he had only wanted to say hello to Nemu, yet that did not hinder Mayuri's guard as he noticed the older captain hide something away in his sleeves. Though his demands on Shunsui to know what it was did not work, it was contrary when asked of his lieutenant. Nemu confessed that she had begun to be interested in that particular title and Shunsui was being too kind to her for bringing her the next instalment. Nemu showed Mayuri the previous volume that she was returning to Shunsui for the new volume.

Reader, Mayuri was not at all unfamiliar with his daughter's interest in the works of hentai(but believe me when I tell you, Reader, that he did not intentionally program her to have such an interest in carnality) but this seemed to branch into a new subtopic of hentai. The illustrations were well draw with correct proportions and the story line was of course cheesy as its context, though the one thing that was new to him was the theme of sadomasochism and bondage. He had never thought that violence and pain could be used as pleasure in such a way, all he thought before was that a good beating and cutting would suffice only as a punishment. What was the point of inflicting pain on another if they enjoyed it? It just ruined the idea of what torture and comeuppance was. And if the so-called sadists knew that their slaves liked the pain, why bother giving it to them. Deny it! Give pain to someone who can better learn from it than get off on it.

He returned the book to Shunsui's hands and warned him that he would not take too kindly to his lieutenant reading such materials or borrowing it on his time when she could be working. Though he spoke nothing of what his daughter read in her spare time, the gears in his head were spinning… This was obviously a new form of torture, but could it be used efficiently? But wasn't pleasure always, as the name said, pleasurable? In all his years, he had never thought of pleasure sexually(except on some of the days when exhaustion scrambled and confused his mind); for him as a male, sexual release was essential as his body constantly produced sperm and semen(on such days when it was necessary to expel, he found himself envying the position that women did not have to put up with their sex drives like so, if you can believe that, Reader).

Reader, I am not going to waste time on describing what Kurotsuchi Mayuri did throughout his day because it is not the point of the prompt, and though his experiments have been popularized in the Seireitei Bulletin, he was still a quite dull man with his work. Would you really want to hear about what he cut up and what paperwork he had done, how many times he had to sign his signature over the seemingly countless forms that came to his desk, filled out by others but had to be approved and re-read by him? More so, would you want to hear of how he kept himself distanced from his wife throughout the day, acting totally indifferent to her as he did not want his colleagues to know about his personal life, that what he did outside the SDRI building was his business alone? No, Reader, I will be arrogant and assume that you would not want to hear about such a dull man because if you did, there probably would've been an episode brought on by demand of fans wanting to know how Kurotstuchi Mayuri spent his day.  
>But I will tell of his and his wife's first night together in the same bed that occurred about a week after they signed the marriage certificate.<p>

The SDRI had just completed a lengthy research that had called for all-nighters and coffee instead of tea for its completion. They both had been too exhausted afterwards that when they arrived home and she had undone her braid and shed off her obi, and he had removed his captain's haori and zanpakuto; they both fell into his bed together: both only in their uniforms, her short-skirted uniform hanging open on her form and his face still painted black and white. Fatigued. Tired. Welcoming the sleep that made their eyelids heavy.  
>There was something that night that exhaustion had done to his perception that he found her somehow beautiful: with that long dark hair contrasting with the pale skin he had constructed, her green eyes boring into him. He reached a hand to her and brushed the side of her face, his thumb running over the hills of her cheeks and her lips. "Nemu…" he murmured half in sleep. "Mayuri-sama…." she returned with equal tone. He saw the hesitance in her hand as it went to his, guiding it to her breast and closing her hand over his. So soft, came the slurred thoughts in his head.<p>

His other arm came around and pulled her to him, though there was no need to. She knew, she understood what he wanted. He knew that she knew. Their minds were so close together that it seemed that being closer only made their empathy(for how else can their ability to know and feel what the other knows and feels without calling it telepathy, Reader?) for each other stronger.  
>In a blur of thoughts, all of it jumbled in his brain, he recalled kissing her. Touching. All over. Breaths. Sighs. Moans. From her. Loudly. Below him was only her. In the spaces of him was only her. The difference that shocked his hand was to feel cloth on half the palm and warm skin on the other half. Her hands all over his back. His paint rubbing on her complexion. White and Black. And Violet. And Red. The bed joining in on their cacophony. Everything was more or less instinct. Driven to move. The mind drunk on sleep and skin. He constantly heard his name from her, over and over like a broken record. He lurched forward as her hands moved lower down on his body. Then there was crack of something. His back? But he felt nothing. He was all at once numb and aware. There was warmth. Her cries getting louder and his hands tangled in her hair, her neck bared before him as if offering. His head dove and he bit, he felt her scream move through the throat. He tasted metal. More screams. Louder. Her begging. He was hurting her. Don't stop. Fire pooling away from his skull to his stomach. She was wrapped around him. His senses mad with her. More screams again.<p>

And then… then… There was furious knocking and he withdrew as soon as they called him for help.

It was instinct, he would never allow anyone else to catch him in such a frenzied state, looking like any other man. But as he leapt away from his bed and rearranged his clothes, simply habit whenever there was someone at the door and he wanted to look as neat as possible. She followed his example. But in the instant that their joining was rudely, he heard such a delicious sound from his lieutenant that was so entirely new. _"No."_ One simple word but depth was behind it.  
>Reader, it is most difficult to describe what a person sounds like when they're frustrated because it is incomprehensible, it can only be felt and shown, not described or written about. But that was what he heard in her voice: desperation, frustration, anguish, and confusion. A reason to know why. Pain was apparent on her features though it quickly disappeared behind her mask. Through more furious knocking and screaming for the captain of 12th division, he felt the longing for him from her, the fury that he should stop, the dejection, and the torment as he subtly noticed her pinching her own fingers and twiddling them. How amazing it felt. This was something entirely new to him, Reader. To torment such a creature without having to use physical punishment: not quite as effective as fists and knives, but new in its flavour and thus just as interesting.<p>

Reader, I will summarize their night. The knocking had been effect from an explosion happening in one of the labs with many of their scientists being injured. Kurotsuchi Mayuri's had only been as most know him - he demanded to know if the data was still secure and the specimen was safe. Once that was answered, he brought hell on them, "Do you have any idea what time it is? What do I care if a few shinigami got hurt? As long as the work has been safely stored away for tomorrow! Do you think it's my job to heal them! No! That's why we have Unohana's division of weaklings to heal the slowpokes! Do not come complaining to me about this unless something has happened to the product of our labour! Go over to the 4th Division and bug them about this! Healing people is not my job! It's Research and Development, always has been for the last century! Now go away! I have work to do tomorrow!" Reader, imagine Kurotsuchi Mayuri in his captain's haori(sans the scarf, Reader, for just a bit of fan service from me to you) and his signature black and white face, burning with spiritual pressure that it just rolled off in waves from him. The poor shinigami fled away in something close to shunpo but not exactly.  
>And then he and his lieutenant returned to his bed. He was exhausted and the mood was just lost, he wanted to sleep. But from the being next to him, he could feel her: feel the savoury pain of denial and want. How interesting, were his last thoughts as he slept. And that was their first night together in his bed, Reader, without the consummation of their marriage thereafter. So it continued with Mayuri's teasing of Nemu, constantly exciting her with kisses and touches, but never going farther than that which left her wanting and all the more frustrated. He gorged himself on her inner conflict, why he should not take her already as most men would with a woman that was both beautiful and willing, practically offering herself to him. The answer was simple, Reader: it was very fun to withhold from her what she wanted and needed and he was actually enjoying not having to bandage up his fists after beatings. It served its purpose quite well, this new form of torture.<p>

It was one evening, as they were finishing up their work that they received a jigokucho from the Soutaicho. He had felt generous that evening, a little bit tired, and felt that he wanted to play with his lieutenant. He touched her. Kissed her until he had to breathe again. Focused on all he could to give her the most pleasure, only so he could take it away when he knew that she was close. Loved to hear her call out his name. Gasp it. Moan it. Scream it. She begged him to take her. On her knees. White face flushed with red. Before him and her hands clawed into him. "Whatever for?" he mocked her. She wanted him. He knew that too easily. A mind he created could not shield itself away from him. Every dream of hers, he knew. Every thought, he knew. He ran his hands through her hair, pulling it back to see that milky white skin of hers, the red choker dividing it. He felt her quivering on him.

Then the jigokucho came.  
>He pushed her off, telling her that a message had come so she better be prepared to work.<p>

_"The presence of Kurotsuchi Mayuri, captain of 12th division, and Kurotsuchi Nemu, lieutenant of 12th division, have been requested to the Captain's Hall in which a meeting has been arranged to discuss a disclosed matter."_ it delivered.

His golden eyes widened, with all his cameras around the Seireitei, nothing should've slipped by him; but for once he had no idea why he should be requested into the Captain's Hall - especially with his lieutenant. He sent his reply back that they would arrive shortly.

"Mayuri-sama, why have we both been requested?" she asked as they made their way to the Captain's Hall.

It was highly suspicious. If he alone had been requested, it would've been understandable: some of his procedures did not follow protocol as he frequently told them, his work was often questioned by those who suspected cruelty, and as Captain he would have to go to meetings. But to ask for Nemu as well was the tip that told him something was incredibly wrong. She had no place to go to the Captain's Hall, but to request that she come with him too. It was no trap: despite how idiotic she appeared, he knew how deadly she could be with her zanpakuto and when an order was given(And, Reader, let it be known that without his orders, she had already gotten her zanpakuto strapped to her back with its hilt hung inverted and ready for her to draw immediately upwards rather than wrench her arm back to pull it out).  
>He told her to be quiet.<p>

They arrived at the Captain's Hall, all captains were already there waiting for him. And if he did not know any better, he would say that their eyes directed at him held more disdain and disgust than usual.  
>The Soutaicho spoke first at the end of the Hall, his eyes squinting. He told Mayuri that there was no need for him to line up with the other captains, this was something that must be spoken to directly. Finally he opened up his eyes and spoke in his haggard voice, "Kurotsuchi, please step forward with your lieutenant." Both of them approached, but was stopped after move forward a few feet.<p>

Mayuri did not even have to think as the Soutaicho pulled out a paper from his seat. There was only the question how he had gotten it, how anyone could've known about its existence. Seeing it before him in front of everybody made his blood boil and his heart jump. But he had to show no weakness in this situation, had to show indifference. He kept his cool. He refused to give them anything that could be used against him. This was a battle just like any others. Must keep cool. Must remain calm. Must stay confident. These 'Musts' repeated themselves in his mind.

"Some news had come to me and I must ask to be sure of it. A marriage certificate came in with your paperwork: one that had been signed between you and your lieutenant. Now, tell us whether or not this is indeed your signature on the document." he demanded with said document in his wizened hands.

Mayuri confirmed it as the alleged document. No more thoughts. No more speculation. The game was already in play like chess. Just do. Plan. Show no fear.

The Soutaicho continued, his gaze severe and reprimanding as though he was speaking to a child. "Kurotsuchi Mayuri, this is a very serious matter. Relationships between captains and lieutenants are not viewed in the best light: priorities can become distorted, distractions are amplified, choices will have little weight to them…" There was a beat. A pause. "Another factor into why we must question what we have discovered: you have married your daughter."

Ah, Reader, there was the problem.

Silence deafened all in the Hall until it was broken by chuckling, something small from the 12th Division Captain. He looked up, the golden eyes brighter than ever. He smiled, the teeth bared that everyone had shivers. It was like it was a game to him. The teeth clacked with every word, "Ah, and who shall be the first to congratulate us on the union?"  
>It was as though he had just gone mad before their eyes, Reader. The smile faded, though there was still its shadow on his mouth.<p>

The Soutaicho remained unfazed and asked, "When had this begun, this relationship between you and your lieutenant?"

He waved his hand around as he spoke, they very well could've been talking about the weather. Ease was on his face as he answered, "To be honest, I'm not really sure in fact." Then his fingers cupped his chin and his golden orbs rolled up. His tone was playful and curious, "Though, I believe I should've kept track of myself, it would've probably served well as reference for some future survey down the road." Another chuckle from him. A few steps behind, Nemu stood silently and obediently.

Komamura barked, the room echoed with his voice, "Is this some joking matter to you, Kurotsuchi?"

His look was suddenly neutral, no one could tell what he was thinking about. He straightened himself up and stood rather loosely before the captains. It was a completely different tone, one that was the opposite to the playful expression he displayed before, "It's not. Right now, my marriage to my lieutenant is being discussed by the captains of the Soul Society. I can almost predict what the result of this meeting will be and this is a waste of time right now. I would like to return to my work as soon as possible instead of standing here like an idiot."

Unohana spoke. "Kurotsuchi-taicho, do you love your daughter?"

He gave no reply but a blanker stare.

She demanded him, "Answer, for you must. Marriage is one thing, fornication is another. So answer the question: do you love your daughter?"

His eyes remained glued to the captains as he pointed behind him to his lieutenant, "I'm marrying her. Aren't I?"

Jushiro said his word, the light air around him heavy and frightening. "Kurotsuchi, we are all captains; not little grade-schoolers who worry whether or not who likes whom."

He breathed loudly, his hands coming up, palms to the ceiling. The hands acted like some sort of puppet for him, giving life to his words like he surely couldn't. "She is my first-born, after all, so I will admit that she is… more significant to me than others." he explained first. "I'm not getting any younger." he added with his golden eyes directed to Kyoraku Shunsui and all noticed. "And it seemed appropriate to begin considering a wife at this age; is that not what most people want out of life: to marry and raise their own family? As it stands, there is seldom any time for shinigami to socialize to find prospective partners, we are all busy with our duties and the casualties that come with it." He looked back at his lieutenant, "Nemu knows her place as my subordinate, she is capable enough that I am willing to trust her with various work and information, she has been raised to how I see fit as accordingly. She needs someone with her constantly, I merely want a partner to have. The marriage is convenient for the both of us."

There was a small grunt from the Soutaicho who spoke after some silence as the captains looked on at one of their own. "We shall now hear from your lieutenant." He blinked, the eyes focused on the young girl who stood demurely, "Kurotsuchi Nemu. Please step forward for us." She did as he commanded, standing shoulder to shoulder with Mayuri. "And will Kurotsuchi Mayuri please exit the room?" came the second request.

There was a simultaneous breath of relief all around from everybody.

The Soutaicho turned to Nemu who was closely watching her captain exit the room with his captain's haori billowing behind him as he left. They called her name to get her attention and explained, "We would like you to speak honestly to us, you have nothing to be afraid of."

She nodded her head.

"Since your marriage, has your captain claimed his rights as your husband?" Soifon asked, her eyes narrowing.

"No, he has not. He is a very busy man and has not had time to do such." the answer came, confident and clear.

There was a snigger from Zaraki Kenpachi as he added, "Probably can't get it up."

"I heard that, you stupid Kenpachi!" Mayuri yelled from the other side, indignant.

He took a step closer to the door and yelled, his hand already on the hilt of his zanpakuto, "Say that to my face!"

"If you hadn't realized it, I've been sent out here!" and there was the distinct mutter of "Moron." that followed after.

The Soutaicho yelled at the two captains, obviously tired of how they frequently argued, "Kurotsuchi! Zaraki! Be quiet! We are discussing something important!"

Kenpachi spoke his mind, "I just don't see why we're having a meeting! This freak married his daughter! You don't see me going after Yachiru! And all of us knows how this is going to end! There is no way that we can allow this! Then you're going to have guys in here wanting to marry their pigs."

"Quiet!" Unohana yelled and all was quiet. She told the Soutaicho to continue with his interview.

"Have you ever heard about incest? Do you know what it is?" he spoke to her as though he thought her a little girl-child.

"Yes, Soutaicho-sama." She nodded.

"Do you understand why you are here? Do you see the error of your ways?"

"Soutaicho-sama, I know why I am here. But I do not understand why…." she shook her head and then paused as though she were afraid to speak more.

"Go on." Unohana prodded her to continue.

It was so innocent how she asked, what she asked, "How can a love be considered wrong, as long as it is consensual?"

There was a cough from a few of the captains. The Soutaicho explained clearly, "Your husband is your father, it is the blood between you that makes this all the more taboo. You are young and you are capable, I am sure that you have broken many hearts before."

Nemu shook her head, "I would not know, Soutaicho-sama. I do not date."

"Because your father does not allow it?" Shunsui asked to verify.

"Because I am busy with my work." she affirmed.

"Kurotsuchi Nemu, has your captain ordered you to marry him?" he asked.

"No, he has not, Soutaicho-sama."

"Has he done things to you, things that he should not?" Unohana butted in.

She shook her head and everyone saw the small smile flower on her face, only to wilt her right after. "He is a good man who has taken care of me and protected me."

One of the captains, I forget which, Reader, asked if she loved him.

"I love him." there was a beat, "It is unfortunate that what I feel for my captain has been deemed as wrong." and it felt that something had stopped her from finishing.

The Soutaicho asked, "What is your hesitation? Please continue."

"Forgive me, my apologies, captains; I do not discuss things such as this very often." she explained her nervousness. Her eyes looked up and met with every one of the captains present, "I am not sure how you all see this as wrong: he is a man and I am a woman, our work puts us at very intimate situations with each other and I trust him with my life. It is merely that I feel a stronger attraction and devotion to him that I do not think I can repeat with another. I do not see why I cannot be with him when it is obviously the most prudent choice for me: he can repair me and he knows what is best for me." Her answer was very similar to her father's.

"He did all that for you before you were married." Unohana pointed out, her voice distanced and cold.

She nodded her head in response, "Yes he did. But… it is not only a matter of caution for me; I believe that he can be the only man who will want me and love me." There was suddenly such an air of helplessness around the girl that all captains suddenly felt compelled to turn more directly at her and look closer, Reader. She fidgeted with her fingers. "I am a useless girl, I am hardly fit to be the lieutenant of the 12th division nor its scientific community, and I cannot defend myself by saying that I try for it is still never enough; and yet, my captain keeps me: he allows me to stay by his side." There was another pause. "Though I am a hassle to him, he has not yet abandoned me or destroyed me for another creation." They could all hear the pleading in her words, though she remained rather emotionless. "Anyone would leave me, but my captain has not; instead he teaches me what he can and modifies me to aid me in my development." She halted and her hand went to her brow. She frowned somewhat and recomposed herself. "My deepest apologies, I cannot explain my love for my captain and creator any more than I have already done for…" There was a relieved breath and she smiled very slightly, the corners of her lips barely moving, "… love gives reasons that reason itself cannot explain."

The Soutaicho nodded his head and he told her to open the door for her captain while the others discussed the meeting with each other. She did so and opened the door for her captain who was already facing forward and waiting. The Soutaicho looked up at him, "Kurotsuchi Mayuri, you may enter." As he came into the Hall, the Soutaicho pointed at him, "However, I would like you to refrain from this moment on using your cameras and Denreishinki to watch us." Mayuri bowed his head forward with a strange sort of smile and agreed. Though, Reader, of course you would know that he was lying about that. As he stood alongside his daughter, the Soutaicho asked curiously, "Have you ever taught your daughter things such as this."

He shook his head and almost sounded insulted that anyone would insinuate that, "Never. We're always working down at the SDRI, I cannot have her waste her time nor mine."

The Soutaicho's eyes were frightening, "You've heard your daughter speak, what do you think?"

"She is quite convincing." he said as he motioned his head towards his lieutenant.

"Do you believe that your daughter truly loves you." Unohana asked, suddenly stepping out of line to look at him.

He shrugged his shoulders and pointed out, "She depends on me. I am the only one who can take care of her and fix her."

The Soutaicho inhaled deeply and Mayuri could hear the ancient lungs rattle inside the ribs. He opened his old eyes upon the 12th division's captain and lieutenant, "Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Kurotsuchi Nemu, a decision has been made regarding the marriage that has been presented to us." he leaned forward and his cane creaked….

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><p><strong>Please read and review. Tell me what you think. Was anybody too OOC in this prompt?<strong>


	5. Poison

**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach**

**Okay, the reason why I went with this path is because it's still incest. It's still his blood in her and thus it makes her his daughter. Everyone knows it like that. Plus, you don't exactly see them doing anything romantic during the series. They both seem pretty indifferent to the other romantically and serve more as comic relief throughout the series with the occasional "Let's get dangerous" battles. So, this is part 6/12 of Consideration. I was inspired to do this from reading volume 14 of Bleach or volume 15 of Bleach after the battle between Kurotsuchi and Quincy. Mayuri himself had called her his daughter and Nemu even added that because she was his daughter and her blood was essentially the same as his, his poisons wouldn't harm her as it did for everyone. So that got the gears in my head spinning and this is what I came up with. Originally, this was supposed to be a stand-alone until I thought it would be a good installment to the Proposal String**

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><p>Kurotsuchi Mayuri realized as soon as the words left the Soutaicho's lips, "It is not as though we doubt your affection for one another. However, this marriage cannot be allowed as it imposes upon incest."; that he had basically screwed himself over in trying to protect Nemu.<br>The one time he had thought of someone else and it goes nipping him in the bud! Worst was that he had broken a promise he had make more to himself than to her. He wondered if she realized this: a part of him hoped that she wouldn't while another urged for her to realize it was already broken from the start. He could feel the disappointment from her coming off in waves, such was their bond to each other that they could often feel for each other, know when the other was sad or angry. How beautiful their empathy was that he could feel her fear, her pain, her joys, her prides… Even better was that she was able to tend to his sadism. How much more it proved that they were meant to be together: that she could know every part of him, dark and light, and accept it. And for he to understand her, no one else understood her as he did. They thought they could use logic to figure out a woman like her, there was simply no dark corner or spot of her mind that he could not infiltrate into. However, it was really no loss: she was as much wife and daughter to him as any woman or girl could be.

But it was that feeling of disappointment, that everyone should know about this weakness of his for Nemu and that he should have nothing out of it, be robbed of what he wanted. He had unwillingly fallen in love with another, he hated himself for feeling such and hated her as much for encouraging him. It was knowing that there was evidence of his weakness and it could be used easily against him, one way or another. No plan was perfect and no one was perfect: everything could ruin better and common sense, he was no exception(Though, Reader, he was much more aware of facts than most people, yet still he was no exception to the chance of someone, someday, taking his daughter away from him and using her as a tool against him. No necessarily as a weapon but taking her apart to pieces to know secrets of his that he had hidden inside her shell). But he could not help himself.  
>It had happened before, Pygmalion fell in love with his own creation that he made with his hands. Nemu was weak and aimless, asking stupid things often and doing stupid things; she could simply not function without him to guide her, she needed him to survive. In that need, he had pitied her and gloried in it, to be needed as air and water and food. No one had depended on him like that, necessary, and it soothed his much bruised ego.<br>He took her power, the power she gave him and called it his own, summoned it as his own heart. He knew and she knew that without him, she would die for good.

And everybody was wrong.

He didn't program her with no free will, she had to have had free will to make the experiment successful, that was the difference why the other gikons could be built to be just as intelligent and just as powerful as officer-class shinigami, but they lacked a zanpakuto. He had done what Urahara Kisuke had not been able to do: construct a gikon that could grow and develop its own zanpakuto, another being of the same heart.  
>And she loved him, despite what he did to her, she loved him. Everyday since her, he had felt her feelings for him as fear and worship - and he wanted it that way because it was exactly what she should be feeling as he had given her life, he could easily take it away - yet it transcended that through the verbal abuse, the beatings, and the surgeries. He felt it bud and bloom into something that he could not ever imagine feeling or having it felt for him. In that development, he had used her; he used her for his feats of modications and experiments to understand why she should feel the way she did because she was, after all and forever more, an experiment: a false being.<p>

So he had taken her and cut her open alive and did whatever the hell he wanted to her and she bore it, never looking back but straight on. And it was still not enough for him to know yet not understand. He could not properly conclude it, he could only look at the outcome and declare it. Love. And yet not love. It was not exactly a true love, per se. It was more than that, that she could see through and inside him, and fear it and be in awe of it and hold it and be in thrall of it completely as something she should. He could not name it, because he was already barely familiar with human emotions besides the basics of fear(for this was one that he he knew extensively about and was profound in), happiness, sadness, worry, and anger. She should've felt something different than what she did from what he placed on her, but she had gone against the grain and felt something that he damned himself for being ecstatic over.

In his efforts to try and drive her away from him, to harden his heart to her advances and her looks at him; it had only made him worry for her more. That he had to keep her closer by his side, that those modifications should protect her instead of change her. And it made him despise himself all the more. How he could still fall to such primal human urges that he should have better control over by then.

She chose him just as much as he chose her, he wanted to tell them.

It was not entirely his choice: he wanted it and so had she and they both agreed for it to be mutual. As much as a sadist as he was, rape was not something he was actually willing to do(unless it served a good purpose such as revenge or much better reasons either than someone needing to simply get laid) for it showed a beast who could not think with the head on its shoulders; he was a scientist, god damn it! He was not so desperate a man that he would use someone for sexual gratification - self love served its purpose well in that category.  
>All he could think about was how differently the experiment - she - had turned out: how she was supposed to be unfeeling, but she could feel and was compassionate for others and had stayed loyal to him all on her own(though some of his 'teachings' had helped to enforce that within her).<br>Interesting, the word rang in between his thoughts. He wanted her always with him. She proved herself to be a more than capable lieutenant who could think and function just as well if not better than any other shinigami of high level and he knew that she would always obey his orders to a T unlike the others - they were just so afraid for their lives. And in the idea of protecting her and making sure that she could stand what he could stand, he used his blood as a basis for the body - the heart and soul belonged solely to her, though she gave the former to him.

Do not parents want to protect their children, daughters particularly because they are so in need of guidance? Will not husbands do what they must to ensure that their wives will survive?  
>Virtually every one of his drugs that had been developed from his blood would have practically no affect on any of them, his poisons would be obsolete only to the two of them. His blood, the same blood that protected her while killing everyone around them, flowed through the two of them. They may as well have shared a body, a liver, an eye… His similarities could be found in her as her own were found in him, his habits were embraced by her and her quirks were nurtured from him…<br>How was he any different from anybody else that wanted another to possess, to have someone who shared as much as possible with them?

The first time he had exposed her to his poison, he sat on a chair in the corner of the room and watched her with his arms crossed over his chest and interest bright in his eyes. She would have to survive, their DNA were one and the same that it could not have hurt her. And it did not. She had stood there in the center of the room, her long hair trailing downwards. She had looked at him with those green eyes that threatened to probe and dig if stared at too long and told him that she felt fine, a little trouble with seeing because of the smoke and the smell was a bit overpowering for her; but, all in all, she felt fine and indifferent to the poison.

They left the captain's meeting, there was nothing more to be said or done. He was not going to throw a tantrum just because they denied the marriage. He had already been humiliated enough by having all the captains look at the two of them before(especially now that the Kenpachi knew and word would surely be spoken). He was going to keep what was left of his pride and walk gracefully from it, no bad word and not even a thought to infecting all of them with new bacteria. But he was still rather bitter about how they all looked at him and Nemu, with those contemptous eyes filled with anger and disgust. What was the difference with how he had had her before and what he was going to do to her as soon as they got home? A brief thought poked him: were they going to take her away from him?  
>Outside, night had already come and taken the day's lights. The moon was full. The entire affair left him tired and he wished that he had known about this before instead of hoping that it would be made legal. He turned to her, her face was cast downwards. "Nemu." he snapped at her as they walked back to their barracks. His voice echoed everywhere and a small part of him feared that someone might hear and complain. Though that little part was quickly eradicated by another part of him who just felt pissed off and wanted to kill someone.<p>

She looked up towards him and bowed her head slightly before bringing it back up, "Yes, Mayuri-sama."

He swallowed, his chest suddenly felt tight and he had to wonder if the new heart he had transplanted in him recently was not doing so well under all the stress that had been going on. "This… what they said… it doesn't change anything. Do you hear me?"

What didn't it change, Reader? What exactly, for Kurotsuchi Mayuri himself did not know what remained unchanged and what didn't. Perhaps he meant that their relationship as husband and wife would not change for them, that their fates were already intertwined together from the very first moment he held the test-tube in his hands or when she first took her breath of life. Perhaps he meant their position as captain and lieutenant: father and daughter?  
>Bitterly, he wondered how the hell could they have gotten their hands on the marriage document. Nemu had put it away and he had warned her not to mention this to anybody. But the fact that the soutaicho had the document in his hands then... he wondered just who had found out, just who had sold him out, how long had they held onto it before giving it up... But he swore that if he ever found the person responsible for revealing it, what he planned would only make the experiments he did on the Quincies pale in comparison.<p>

"Yes, Mayuri-sama." she said to him, it assured his heart. Dependable Nemu would always tell the truth, never caring who she hurt really: a spoiled little girl.

He sighed out loud, taking off his hat and wiping away the sweat of his brow. "All this just to tell us that we can't get married. If they had just said this in the beginning, then we wouldn't have wasted so much time. Look at how late it is."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama." she agreed with him.

He stopped and looked into her eyes. They appeared to be shining in the moonlight. "Nemu. Are you crying? Don't tell me that you are, you insensible girl. If you're crying, so help me!" he warned harshly as he waved a long pointed finger in her face, the nail practically threatening to poke one of her eyes out.

"No, I'm not crying, Mayuri-sama." she told him as she shook her head.

He scoffed and looked away from her. "Good. Because this was nothing to cry about. This was just stupid."

Yet, Reader, their knuckles brushed against each other's and for the way home, the backs of their hands remained attached to one another's Reader, he had known that she would be special to him, practically his first-born. He just never suspected that it would become something like this.

Just once, he grabbed her hand outside, and held it close to his side. She came nearer, their shoulders touching. It did not matter what they said, she was still his and secretly, he would admit that his heart was hers.

Even if it made everybody hate him all the more and be sickened by him; he had made her his daughter only to protect her.

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><p><strong>So... what did you think?<strong>


	6. Asunder

**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach**

**So, this is when everyone finds out by rumours and word of god(rather, captain) that Mayuri tried to marry Nemu. If you have any suggestions to improve this, please leave it in a review or send it in a PM. I'm nore sure if this is so good. But do have a read. **

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><p><em>How could he marry his own daughter? <em>

_The disgusting pervert! _

_I bet he dresses her up like that to look up the skirt! _

_Why the hell is he a Captain? _

_What do you think Kurotsuchi would say if I told him, "Go screw yourself!" Oh! He already does! _

_I bet he just made her to use for sex! _

_What do you think he does to her at night? _

_Taboo! Incest is so gross! _

_Do you think he was abused when he was alive? _

_Why would someone want to do that to their own child? _

_I swear, I was there when they showed us all the marriage license. It was the second craziest shit I ever saw. _

_I always thought he was gay, how else could he handle having such a busty lieutenant and not doing anything? Guess I was wrong. _

_What a moron! I hope that some Hollow would bite his dick off someday! _

_I bet he rapes her every night when they go home. _

_Poor girl, to have to live with that evil man! _

_I can't stand anyone like him, I bet it won't be long before they demote him. _

_What do you think they're going to do to her then? Is she going to be transferred? Is he going back to the Maggots Nest? _

_I don't think I can sleep well at night, knowing that my captain is like that! _

_Do you think she's pregnant with his kid? She looks a little fat. _

_Should we petition to run him out of the Seireitei? _

_I don't think I can work under a bastard like that..._

And no one thought of not ending the talk, only prolonging it. Unohana Retsu could only sigh when she heard things like that. She had not wanted to believe what she had seen the last week, but the fact that he himself had confirmed it as his signature and his lieutenant's had been a blow to her. She had not wanted to believe it, only wanted to think it was a joke or sabotage done by the subordinate who surely had a soft spot for the 12th division lieutenant. Unlike the other captains, she had a good idea, the most accurate suspicion who could've sent the marriage document. But now she knew that she could never have Kurotsuchi Mayuri. How could she when she had been witness to what he had actually crossed the line to do? More so, when she knew that she was not the one he wanted enough to marry?  
>Unohana gave a small sniffle trying to suppress her tears and the heartbreak that was threatening to have her cry out in anguish over another lost love. Why did she love Kurotsuchi Mayuri? Because he was an intriguing man who embodied intelligence and determination. Because he excited her as a woman, something that she had not felt for centuries. Now, why did Kurotsuchi Nemu love him? She didn't know why, but she did. And Unohana had to admit to herself that Nemu was the better woman, she had won Mayuri's heart.<br>Suddenly, the talking stopped and Unohana wondered what could be the cause for the silence. She left her garden and entered into the main hall to see the 12th Division's second and third seats entering.  
>Nemu was battered and bloody, held limply in Akon's arms. She was breathing shallowly, her eyes lolling all around and blood trailed down her arm. Her face was virtually untouched, save the violently violet bruise on one of her cheeks. Unohana wondered to herself - no longer in horror as she did days before - just what did Mayuri do to her that time. This must've been the 4th time this month so far that Nemu had been taken to her division.<p>

Akon asked where he should take her, his arms were getting tired and he had to get back to the labs before anyone noticed he was gone. He wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of his boss's fury. She saw the gentle way he placed her on the bed, how soundlessly she descended onto the mattress and the way his hand lingered a little bit afterwards. Unohana thanked him for his time in bringing her there.  
>When he left, Unohana looked down at her new and habitual patient. Her breathing was getting slower and she was amazed to see that she was still conscious, her fingers squeezing and releasing the thin sheets of the bed. Unohana sat on the chair at the head of the bed, she smoothed Nemu's hair and asked what had happened to her this time.<p>

She weakly turned her head and replied that it was an explosion in the lab. She had been too close to the source and so had taken most of the damage.

"I wonder why your captain isn't taking care of you. I've noticed that he usually prefers to use his inventions to heal you rather than have you come to me."

Nemu briefed that he was very busy and she did not want to disturb him with her injuries.

Unohana gave her a pitied smile and sedated her, her hand growing green over Nemu's brow. She left the room and requested that someone see to the healing of the 12th Division lieutenant. She returned to her garden, the chatter resuming where it had left off. What was going to happen now? The Soutaicho had decided to let Mayuri keep Nemu; she couldn't understand why. But perhaps it would be better to separate the two of them, they should not be together.  
>Her thoughts melted alongside more of the talk going around Seireitei.<p>

_I always knew something was wrong with him. _

_The fiend, I should've suspected something was strange about the way he always had her with him. _

_I'll kill him! The bastard! _

_It is a shame that the lady was treated like that. _

_Gross! Stay away from him. _

_Why are we treating her? He's going to wind up killing her! _

_Do you think she ever enjoyed it? _

_What a whore! _

_Slut! _

_Bitch! _

_I bet their kids will look like mushrooms! _

_How do you explain to your child that their father is their grandfather and you're their sister and mother? _

_Freaks! _

_I'm getting a transfer! _

_She was so weird! She could've said no! She probably wanted him to fuck her. _

_He can't get laid. He can't even get it up unless someone screams. _

_Impotent monster! _

_She only acts so high and mighty to hide the fact that she likes it up the ass. _

_How long do you think they've been doing it? _

_I've heard that they were only getting married because she got preggers! _

_The experiment subjects in their labs are probably their little babies. He probably rapes the babies too. _

_Do you think I could get some from her too? _

_Cheap! Heifer! _

_She dresses that way because she likes the way the boys look at her when she swings her ass..._

The talk was silenced again once more. Unohana almost guessed who was here at her division now. It was. Kurotsuchi Mayuri. There at her division. She greeted him as civilly as possible, he nodded towards her. If it had been any time before now, she would've mentally swooned at the sight of him.  
>His face was not so menacing nor possessed the look of insanity in wide eyes and bared teeth; he had an air of fatigue about him, his eyes a little dimmer than usual. The teeth were still bared but simply looking as it were, instead of as if he was snarling. There was blood on him, drops of it splattered on his face and captain's haori. His hands were bloody as well and its dripping seemed to echo in the silence of the entire division at the sight of him. Somehow her intuition told her that not all the blood on his was his own. She saw his hand tremble as he lifted it up, the knuckles toward her to show the cuts in it and bruising.<p>

"My hands can't move properly." he demanded.

She smiled and nodded, holding her hand out to him and leading him into her office. How long had she dreamed of holding him like she was right then, of him following after her. Shame it was in these circumstances. But she tried not to take too much notice of it and focused only on him and her. His grip was cold to her. His skin was dry despite the paint he covered himself with. She ignored the odd stares that she received from those around her, only smiling sweetly to feign acknowledgement.

This must've been the first time they were alone together, excluding medical check-ups. She had him sit down on a chair as she kneeled at his side, cleaning away the blood that stained his hands. The white paint melted away with the dripping water. She held onto his hands with her own and began the healing process. "I believe that this is the first time you have willingly come to my division."

He scoffed.

She continued, "May I ask why did you come here when you have your labs that can easily remedy almost anything my division can?"

"My hands can't move properly." he repeated as earlier.

She tilted her head and smiled. She still knew. "Here I thought: you wanted to see your lieutenant." She felt him flinch in her grip. Obviously, she had hit a soft spot. "Akon brought her here. A very fine young gentleman."

She heard him mutter bitterly, "Is that so?" He slipped his hand out of her grip and flexed his fingers, distinctive cracks could be heard as he did so. She kept her smile plastered on her face. He stood up and there were more cracking from his rotating hands.

She chided that he should not do that as it would damage the bones.

He stopped. Without a single word. Then she knew that something was wrong. That was not like him. Before if she were to say anything like that, he would've found some way to retort, perhaps that his body was his own to do whatever he wanted with. But he had simply stopped and worse, he had nodded.

A woman's intuition was both a blessing and a curse.

He walked past her, nodding and thanking her for her time.

Unohana didn't know what possessed her to do it('twas, I the writer, Reader), but she just felt compelled to. "Kurotsuchi Mayuri-taicho!" He stopped in his tracks and turned back slowly to her, his movements graceful and precise, calculating. She smiled sweetly to him and bowed her head forward slightly, angling herself just right to look as kindly as possibly yet still maintaining authority in her posture. "I had thought you would want to see your lieutenant."

He turned away, "No."

She continued smiling and went out the door, her expression serene as she headed to her destination, "Oh, very well then. I am going to check up on her." She didn't turn around, she trusted that he would follow behind and she was right for she could practically hear the swishing of his uniform behind her and the echoing steps in the suddenly empty hallway. She went into the room where Nemu had been healed, yet her clothes remained stained with her blood.  
>She stepped aside as Mayuri suddenly appeared before the bed where his lieutenant and daughter lay resting. For a second Unohana thought that he would carress her face, but he did not.<p>

She heard him say her name, "Nemu." As soon as he had his look of her, he turned around to face Unohana and bid her goodbye.

"That's it?" she asked as he was already out the door. He answered, his back to her, "What's the point? She's asleep."

Her face softened, it seemed he really had wanted to see Nemu.

Then there was suddenly a loud crack out in the hall. She hoped he had not injured himself by punching a wall. There was screaming and a shinigami flew past the door. She rushed out to investigate and knew she had missed the culprit. Isagi, one of the nurses, directed her towards the injured shinigami; she explained that they had thought Kurotsuchi Mayuri was already gone and had said some things, regretfully. He had heard and punched the shinigami that was lying half-unconscious against the wall.  
>Unohana sighed and assured her that she would talk to Kurotsuchi about his behaviour and heal the shinigami. As she carried him to one of the infirmaries, she heard their chatter start up again.<p>

_He was probably here to rape Nemu when Unohana-taicho caught him. The pervert. _

_He's some sort of sadist. I wonder if he gets off on being whipped too. _

_I hope he dies soon! _

_I bet he fucks her when she's unconscious too. _

_I swear that I could smell sex on her when I was healing her…._

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><p><strong>So... what did you think?<strong>


	7. Pity

**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach. **

**Um, I think the premise of this prompt was better than the fic itself. I had originally planned for it to show how when he hurt Nemu, he also hurt himself. Because the idea went something like this: Nemu gets beaten up badly, broken and bleeding; Mayuri retreats into his office but he keeps the bruises and blood(he hit her too hard that he broke a few knuckles and they bled too) on his hands as a sort of self punishment for hurting Nemu. It's not just emotional pain, but it's also corporal pain. **

**So... um... please read and review. **

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><p>Everyone had said that he only beat her because he was afraid of other women. He took out his own insecurities and weaknesses on her to make himself feel strong, they said. Behind his back, they taunted that the only reason he made her wear that short skirt was because he had a fetish for it, because he liked to ogle her ass. They argued it was probably true because if he had built her for function, why the hell would he give her long hair and big tits? Why even a girl? Why not a man? They laughed that he probably had her because he was still in denial in his closet. And the only reason she was sticking by him was because he had put a self-destruct bomb inside her that he could activate if she ever so dared to leave him.<p>

Perhaps the last one was true(Kurotsuchi Mayuri was, after all, a careful man). But Akon knew there was more to it.

In the beginning Akon had envied and hated(only slightly) his chief for having created her for himself, guarded her from all yet used her as his shield. Then soon, he felt only pity for that man. He along with a few other members had always had their suspicions about Mayuri's secret affection for his lieutenant and only recently was it confirmed by the concrete proof of the marriage certificate signed between the two of them and word of it being declined at a Captain's meeting.

Akon supposed that knowing that the shinigami spoke of this event angered him because Nemu appeared with more bruises than ever. At least once a day was a beating for her and often times it was simply for no reason. Everything had changed. His chief became all at once aloof and more brutal, no longer himself, but rather he was playing the character that everyone wrote after looking at him. There was passion but the hollow sort where you just give it all your might without really thinking about it. Akon wondered if his chief was trying to show everyone that he wasn't weak, that he didn't care for anyone and didn't need them at all, whatever it was, he was different. Nemu herself seemed different too, the way that she always stood closer to the chief would've made him think that she wanted to be hurt, that she was putting herself at his mercy for the hell of it.

Sighing.

He loved her.

Akon could've taken her for himself, protected her and hidden her away from his chief. He was but a rank below the lieutenant in the SDRI, she had some affection for him and he for her; any relationship they had would be allowed, even encouraged by all for he would not beat her. But when he thought back on his chief, debt and obligation stopped him from even coming close to her. Without Mayuri's recommendation when Urahara Kisuke was the captain and head of the organization, he probably wouldn't even be out of the Maggot's Nest.

Besides, pity is all the more stronger than desire. So is guilt.

Nobody could see that as Mayuri bloodied up and broke Nemu into pieces, the same thing was happening to Mayuri inside. They couldn't see that as she struggled to stay conscious just for him, to suffer along with him; he wasn't smiling, he wasn't laughing. As he smoked his cigarette and watched Mayuri bark at her while he kicked her on the floor, a thought came to him, '_The __chief's fists must hurt if he's kicking her_.' His white knuckles were bleeding, clenched tight together as he swung his leg downwards a few more times.

Now the same number of shinigami who mocked him at night stared with aghast eyes. He heard them question why he would still beat her if he tried to marry her. Breathing heavily, his mouth open with gasps coming out, Mayuri stormed out of the room away to his office. The shinigami and scientists there were unsure if they were to touch her or not. Akon knew, only an idiot wouldn't be able to figure it out.

Akon knew, he always knew what to do when their captain and lieutenant were busy. For as long as he remembered since the 12th's previous captain and lieutenant had disappeared on some scandalous charge, he had always been the third seat there.

He carried her to the 4th division, it was unlikely that Mayuri would want to see her now. She struggled to speak outside. Her voice was soft, ragged, it reminded him of fine cut class that had been shattered into jagged shards.  
>"Please… tell him… I… I'm sorry." The chief was really lucky to have a girl like that by his side. So few had someone like that, maybe that was why he was so angry? He wasn't <em>allowed<em> to have her, but had protocol ever stopped him? No, it never did and Akon could only wonder why Mayuri was taking this one so personally. If anything, he would've assumed that Mayuri would've just spat in their faces, not caring... Apperantly he did care enough to do this...

First he had felt envy, jealousy, and now all he knew for them was pity.

It grew when he returned back to the labs and went to inform his chief that he had taken Nemu because she was in the way in the labs. He was at his computer, but Akon knew it was just for show. Perhaps he had been resting earlier, most likely thinking about how he and Nemu was a piece choice of gossip chewed up and spat out at in the barracks of the Gotei 13 and possibly lower classes. He noticed the hands most of all, how stiff they looked. He wouldn't have been able to use the keys with fingers like those that were too stunned to move. They were red with her blood, with his blood too. Despite the white paint, he could see the flourishing blue and yellow bruises beneath the chipping blood. He felt, but he could not bring himself to do anything about it. He could not feign the same concern as most people. That was what the Maggot's Nest did to everyone, what this job did to your own mind; you begin to stop caring about others, your only concern is the idea coming to life. You are all at once empathetic and apathetic...

Akon took a whiff of his cigarette before pointing out, "Chief, you're getting blood everywhere."

He still didn't turn around, his voice sounded colder than usual in that it gave Akon shivers to hear it directed at him, "Leave it, I'm too busy right now to wash it off."

It was a lie. It was a blatant lie. He didn't seem so busy before when he was hitting Nemu. Besides that, he had seen how the hand had shook and trembled as it was raised up. He was hurting and he wasn't doing anything to stop it. He was prolonging it, hands like that weren't any use to anybody, especially in their line of work.

Shrugging his shoulders, Akon said goodbye and resumed his work, not before changing into a different lab coat. Though the blood made it look all the more professional, he supposed that the chief didn't need any reminders. As much as Akon thought that he should be more protective toward the women and hateful to the father, he found that he could not summon up those feelings. It was easier to feel sorry for them.

Almost in a daze, he wondered what it must've felt like: to not be allowed to love someone and be loved by them, to hurt them because they wanted you to for your own good and reputation, to not be able to cry and talk to someone about it.

They deserved only pity, he thought.

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><p><strong>I've just realized that perhaps in an AU, it's easier to imagine Mayuri being able to marry Nemu rather than their own universe. Which I think is really sad. So... tell me what you think, please review in suggestions or critique or send them in a PM.<strong>

**Plus, I'm not even sure, but my own little mind is telling me that Akon must've been the one to reveal the marriage because he does work on surveillance, he seemingly does have a lot of authority in the SDRI, he also loves Nemu and is envious of Mayuri, and it is often the one who's closest who betrays you. I'm not really confirming it because I'm not really sure, but I would hint that Akon probably let slip to the captains about this marriage and afterwards, he feels guilty about what he's done and tries to atone for it. Here is his atonement. **

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><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

The next day, everybody tasted something funny in the water and smelled something odd in the air. Then they all fell sick. A few days later, they woke up with virtually no recollection of the previous month or so and everything went to hell for a few hours before they were ordered to just get over it and get back to work.

Akon smiled and sought no words of appreciation from anyone, the selected amnesia was merely marked it off as a joke done by the 11th division. Those brutes believed anything they were told.

It's better to have loved and lost, than to ever have loved at all.

As much as he would like to disagree with that; whenever he saw his Chief smiling at the lieutenant, when Mayuri thought that they were alone or that no one was looking, Akon had to smile too.  
>Pity is powerful, but Love is always stronger.<p> 


	8. Excuse

**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach**

**OMG! We are up to part 8! We only have four more parts left to this string! So now Mayuri and Nemu are taking a trip up to the real world. This is their week of getting ready for that. Also, this is written from Megane's POV. She's the girl with glasses and the chains in her hair. **

**You can tell which days I liked to write and which days I had to struggle with. **

**Anyway, read and review!**

**ps**  
><strong>Mayuri and Nemu are hardly ever referred to by name in this fic because it is from one of the scientist's POV. She knows them only as 'The Chief' and 'The Lieutenant'.<strong>

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><p><strong>Friday<strong>

Megane yawned as she stood with her colleagues in the office of the Chief, her little hand waving in front of her mouth. The chains of her hair rattled as she dipped her head back, some tears welling in her eyes.

The past month had been hectic. The transfers out of the 12th division alone had been enough to drive her crazy, but she had faith in her captain and knew that everything would work itself out. And it did! Everybody had forgotten about that marriage deal and everything was back to normal, nothing out of the ordinary. However Akon had mentioned to all of them that they should not speak of the marriage between the Chief and his Lieutenant, let alone congratulate it. It was a deal that was best left unacknowledged and out of their thoughts. If the Chief had wanted it to be known, he would've told all of them. But he didn't. Megane couldn't really understand people. Perhaps this was why she was so well-suited to the SDRI: she was more adept with chemistry and biology, some of her best work being in gikon manufacturing(especially for girls!). She raised her glasses up to her forehead to have access to wipe away the fatigue then saw the Chief and Lieutenant enter.

The Chief eyed each and one of them; Megane stood erect with her hands behind her back, seriousness was all she was about now.

"Now, then. A re-emerging phenomenon has just been made known about human children born with hollow-like powers. However…" There was a pause here from their Chief as he eyed each and every one of them, "Only Nemu and I will be going up to the real world to collect the data for it. Hopefully, we might bring back a live specimen for you all to have your fun in cutting it open; but in the meantime, we'll be collecting brief DNA samples from them and readings from areas they occupy."  
>He narrowed his eyes and looked all around. "Are there any questions before I let you all go?"<p>

Rin was the first one to raise his hand, cookie crumbs all over his mouth, "Err… How long are you going to be gone for?"

Rin had been known throughout the division to ask the worst questions for most of them had already been part of the SDRI when it first began under the authority of Urahara Kisuke. However Megane had to admit: it wasn't that dumb of a question this time. Having been curious too about how long the Chief and Lieutenant would be gone for, yet she hadn't dared ask such a thing. She turned her focus back on her Chief, only to see him turn back a quick glance to the Lieutenant who replied the question.

"Kurotsuchi-taicho and I will be gone for a few days, the most being a week. During which, he will leave specific and detailed instructions on what is to be done during the absence and Akon will be the acting Chief of the SDRI."

Akon took a puff of his cigarette. "What about the 12th division squads?" he asked as he exhaled a breath of smoke.

"I've let them draw straws among themselves." The Chief answered exasperatedly, "The fools will probably still be arguing even now. However, if any of you would like to volunteer for the position of acting captain while I'm gone, be my guest."

Reader, none of the SDRI's scientists volunteered for such an offer, not even Rin. From all of them came the same excuse that they were too busy to watch over a group of idiotic shinigami who relied solely on their zanpakuto. They, however, were a group of intellectuals who found that the best contribution they could make was by discovery and truth rather than killing Hollows.

"Still." The Chief pointed out, "They might actually choose an idiot to be my substitute in which case everything will surely have gone to hell when I come back. Akon! If they've chosen an idiot, you're going to be the acting captain of the 12th division!"

Megane tried to stifle a slight giggle(as like the other scientists) at the sight of Akon's face blanching over. Reader, to be picked out of all of the scientists heads in the SDRI by Kurotsuchi Mayuri, chief of the SDRI and 12th division Captain, to lead the former even if it be temporary was a great honour that showed just how capable Kurotsuchi Mayuri thought the man to be. However, then if such a person was ever picked to temporarily lead his division; it demonstrated a rather ironical twist of how little Kurotsuchi Mayuri could think of a person. The giggle escaped with a few chuckles from the males standing alongside and behind Megane as Akon, shocked by the proposition that this would be the first time both Captain/Chief and Lieutenant of the SDRI and the12th division would leave and he would have to take on both roles in the meantime, jaw dropped and the cigarette fell to the ground.

There was a grin from the Chief at Akon's greatly embellished reaction at having assigned the two simultaneous roles and he left promptly, telling them that there was work to do and things to be looked over before he left.

The Lieutenant followed behind obediently.

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><p><strong>Saturday<strong>

Megane was having no part in this, but she could not help but overhear Kurotsuchi Mayuri and the Lieutenant speak to each other. Of course, she was rather curious to know ahead what was to be done in the absence of the Chief and lieutenant. There were occasional mutterings or thoughts spoken out loud of who was to have this task and whatnot. The experiments would still be going on, but the verification and submission of reports would be going to the department deputies before they went to the heads; in which the heads would personally work alongside the techies to input the new information in the database. Quotas were to be met at the end of the day: forms, hollow slaying, reports on new subjects and compositions. What was to be commenced upon completion of current activities and when those would have to be completed to start on a third round of new developments... etc... etc...

To Megane, it felt as though the Chief was thinking them as children: outlining every single detail. She listened in closer when they began discussing matters of a different nature. They were supposed to be leaving plans for what the division and the department were supposed to be doing in their absence, and Megane supposed that they were doing just that. However, though she wouldn't dare voice it, she could see that perhaps two superior officers were getting a little bit off topic.

The Lieutenant retrieved the new notebook for the Chief and asked as she approached, "Mayuri-sama, how did the other captains take the news that you and I are leaving to go to the real world for a few days?"

He continued writing, not even bothering to look up. It seemed he felt that to answer was not even worth ceasing to write down the plans and instructions for his subordinates. Though Megane could not see his face, still crouched over the desk and writing, she could just hear the sneer in his voice, "How do you think they reacted? Actually, they were questioning whether I had released some sort of deadly virus up there and was only going to check it out."

"They are a very suspicious group, Mayuri-sama." she added as she nodded her head.

The Lieutenant was so gosh-darn agreeable, thought Megane.

He still didn't look up, but she could hear the strokes of his pen slow down, the mounds of his cheek puff as though smiling, "For once, you're on the right track of something. The lot of them were asking me to bring back souvenirs from the real world for them. As if I would have any time for that. This is an expedition for science and research, not a vacation. Though perhaps, I might need one. I have been working hard."

Another obedient nod once again, "Yes, Mayuri-sama. I can think of no other captain who works as hard as you,"

He closed the notebook, rotating his wrist in wide circles. Not even having to ask or reach a hand out, The Lieutenant was already ready with the next notebook, setting it down with an open page as he stretched his spine in leaning back. He wrote furiously, then suddenly he asked his lieutenant, "Nemu. Did you tell Unohana that you were going up to the real world and wouldn't be able to attend any of the meetings of that club?"

Megane turned her head slightly, getting more of a view that was preferable to out of the corner of her eyes.

She saw the Lieutenant coming closer to the Chief and standing by at an oddly close range, "Yes, Mayuri-sama. She said that she hoped that our time in the real world would be enjoyable and that I would bring something back for the club when we return. Kusajishi-fukutaicho was insistent that I bring her candy from the real world."

He scoffed, "Your club is always asking for something. Perhaps the only good thing about the club is that they torment that farce of a Men's Shinigami Association and give the SDRI their funds." There was a pause here and he sounded to almost be laughing, "That was quite a day. And the idiot ended up working for us to try and get his club's funds back. I was surprised that he didn't try to sneak in a bomb for revenge."

There was another nod from her and even a slight bow, "Yes, Mayuri-sama. You were very forceful. I do not think he would've dared."

He tilted his head slightly, already at the back of the new notebook. He closed it and leaned back on his chair, his fingers coming together in a sort of roof-like formation. He gestured with his chin towards the numerous notebooks that had collected on his desk since the early morning, "Hm… Nemu, I want you to bring the first copies of this to Akon and then down to the barracks."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama." and with that she left.

Megane focused back on her work.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday<strong>

Identities were hardly worth any effort: a small matter of forging that would take a few hours and then you could be reborn as a new person in the real world with no one the wiser. However, the memories were a tad more difficult. The purpose of memories for certain shinigami when they go up to the real world is to blend in completely without any trace. No "new fellow that just came to town the other day" or suspicions rising for who the townspeople knew little about. Few shinigami would bother with the idea of faux memories for humans: many shinigami relished interaction with humans, to appear human was enough for them, and the creation of memories was a strenuous task on those at the SDRI.  
>However, the Chief insisted that faux memories be done and executed as soon as possible before his arrival up to the real world: he would not have strangers coming up to him when he wanted to work nor would he have needless questioning.<p>

Megane had suggested that they pose as husband and wife - no one ever bothered newlyweds. The room had become awkwardly silent when she suggested it.

The Chief seethed through his teeth, obviously uncomfortable with the statement, "Absolutely not. It looks like I'll have to design the memories after all."

The plan was much more complicated than Megane could've thought up. The people of Karakura would know hm as a Tokyo-U professor who had come to their little town to check up on his daughter, he would already have been living there for a few months with her. The Lieutenant would play the daughter who kept to herself since she was already in an engaged marriage with some young fellow out in Kyoto. The job left for the SDRI and willing 12th division volunteers to do afterwards would be to go into the real world and alter the memories of the citizens.

And so, later in the night Megane passed by the Chief's office before going home for the night. He was still at his computer, typing up numerous months' worth of memories of himself and the lieutenant. She slowed down her steps, peeking out from the corner of her eye. The lieutenant was there, that was no surprise. But it was what she was doing. She had come close to the Chief, her hands resting on the top of his head. His typing suddenly ceased and his sigh shuddered throughout the whole of his office. Megane watched curiously. He leaned back with another sigh and removed the hair piece of his outfit. She almost gave a giggle at seeing it come off, but bit her tongue down to watch. The lieutenant was running her hands through his hair, her elbows moving out as though fidgeting with something on his head.

A head massage? Megane wondered as she watched.

The Chief gave another sigh and then jolted up to his feet. "Who's there?" he asked, his voice echoing everywhere.

Megane gave no answer and ran.

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><p><strong>Monday<strong>

Megane gazed out the window, taking a momentary break from inventory checking. She had heard that the Chief and the Lieutenant had gone out to procure materials for data collection and analyzing. But that had been hours ago and the items had made it back before the two of them did. Why did she get stuck with inventory? She had been working on a new pill that could make any part of your body practically bionic, depending on where you injected yourself with another medicine in order to direct the potency of the pill to that particular limb.

"Don't worry, they should be back soon. The Chief isn't someone to waste his time."

Megane turned around to identify the source of the voice, it was Akon. "How would you know?" she asked, getting back to work.

He trailed behind her, "Even when the Chief lost his memories that one time, he still kept working. Though, if I had to take a guess right now, I would say that they're probably taking a walk, Nemu saying goodbye and all to her friends."  
>He left, resuming his own work of Dangai monitoring.<p>

Megane gave a little sigh and approached the window once more. It was starting to rain.

Another voice came up behind her without warning, "Megane-san, what're you watching?"

She tilted her head back to see who it could be this time, Akon had left and so she was sceptical that it would be him again. She was correct: Rin stood behind her with a tray of cookies and tea in his hands. "They sent you on an errand again?" she more stated than asked.

He gave a nervous chuckle, hitching up his shoulders slightly, "Yeah, they thought that I wasn't doing enough so that I may as well go get them something to eat."

Megane playfully punched him in his shoulder; Rin was always such a pushover that she knew if she hadn't been here, he would never have survived all the senseless teasing everybody gave him. Suddenly, Rin pointed out something, nodding his head in the direction, "Oh, look down there!"  
>He stood side by side with her, the outside of their hands making contact and Megane ignored it for the more tantalizing sight outside.<p>

It was the Chief and Lieutenant walking towards the building together. Hardly anything else could be seen as the Lieutenant was carrying a large umbrella that obscured the two of them from high views.  
>Megane sighed giddily: love is a many splendour thing.<p>

Rin cleared his throat next to her. She looked towards him, "Wha-what do you have a red face for?"

"I don't have a red face. You do!"

Reader, and so both adolescents(physically at the very least) watched each other for some time before Megane's brain functioned once more as a scientist. She bopped Rin straight on his head and told him to get back to work, that they would both get in trouble if the Chief caught them doing nothing. For sure, determined that nothing would lead her astray from her work now, she went forward down the lines and marked down what chemicals were still full and what would have to be refilled before the end of the week.

All the while, the spot on her hand where Rin's hand had made contact still burned.

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><p><strong>Tuesday<strong>

She walked past one of his offices that was placed in the lower levels where seldom anyone walked by, the door slightly ajar, despite the "Enter and Die" sign that was taped on it. She was looking for the Chief to ask him about what he had thought about the new experiment plans they had brought him earlier that day. But she did not call out for him, any noise could be the ruin or downfall for work in their department. Her steps grew slower and quieter as she passed by.  
>In a moment she saw all that needed to be seen.<p>

The Chief was caging his Lieutenant with his body against a poster-ed wall, the 12th division emblem was clear and distinct on his rising back. Her hands were pinned up at her sides, high above her head, there was a huge contrast between her black sleeves and the captain's white hands. From the hum of the air-ducts above, Megane had not been able to tell what exchange was being spoken between the two of them; yet, she could see the obvious crimson blush on the lieutenant's face. She saw his head turn to the side of the Lieutenant's ear, his tongue slightly poking out as he whispered something in her ear. The blush crept slowly down to her neck and chest, which was revealed by the loosened uniform she wore. Almost immediately, his head dove to the exposed skin.  
>From the flushed lieutenant, she uttered out a high, "Mayuri-sama!"<br>Megane saw the grip of his white hands on her wrists tighten and there was the harsh whisper of the Chief as he spoke against her neck, his lips smacking moistly together and on her skin. "Nemu! Be quiet!"

Then his head rose and his lips connected with hers for a fierce kiss. The lieutenant's fingers twitched, as though she wanted to be touching him but was unable to. Megane felt herself blushing at the sight of the two of them, familiar and impassioned. She directed her eyes to the ground when she passed by the door completely, making sure to make a slight note to herself to visit perhaps a little later. Honestly, she wondered, was that how they got work done when that sign was up on his door?

Going up on the elevator, she gave a little smile to the scene, almost but not quite envious of the relationship between her two superior officers.

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><p><strong>Wednesday<strong>

The day had started better than on most days, a package from Urahara Kisuke had come delivered to them. The package was still unwrapped, waiting on the table counter for the Chief to come from the upper levels down to the lower levels to open it and see what was in it exactly. He came down with his haori billowing behind him and Megane acknowledged with a well-versed smile that the Lieutenant's face was blushing red.  
>He approached the box with impatience about him, "Has anyone touched it?"<p>

No sir, was the reply all around. His golden eyes narrowed to all, "Who wants to open it?"

"Open it, sir?" Hiyosu asked with some suspicion and disbelief.

Megane saw the way that the Chief directed his eyes to Akon, which Akon took as his own cue to explain. "Urahara used to play jokes on me."

Megane was curious to what could be in that box and so she did the only thing she could think of to speed up the process of the Chief choosing someone to open the box: she pushed Rin forward.

"You." The Chief said with a pointed finger to the lowly-ranked scientist, "Open it!"

Rin nervously pulled away the twine and peeled away the newspaper that was used as package wrap. With a deep breath as he nervously fingered the lapels of the cardboard box, he flung it open. Then there was a loud scream from the little boy. An assortment of rubber snakes and spiders flew out, most of it flying into the face of Rin. Megane gave a sharp laugh, covering the top of her head with her clip-board. Doru was using his fan to keep the rubber toys from touching his head, the weight of it causing his wooden fan to bend. Akon, Kuma, and Osoku had somehow pulled out buckets from somewhere and were collecting the falling frogs and snakes. The Lieutenant had pulled out an umbrella from thin air and held it open over the Chief's head, the frogs and snakes bouncing off of it onto Rin who was crying and shaking.

The Chief pointed to the ground, his glare directed to the sad little Rin, "Pick up the mess you made now."

Still sobbing with tears running down his face, he kneeled down to the ground and commenced picking up the rubber snakes and frogs; Akon, Kuma, and Osoku placed their buckets at his side. Megane felt a little sorry for Rin, but not that much. She would make it up to him with cookies later.

As the Lieutenant closed the umbrella and placed it somewhere, the Chief ordered her, "Nemu, go open the package."

She stepped forward and removed the bottom of the box, revealing the true package inside the box. All of the scientists looked inside, the first thing they saw was a letter. She took it out and stated in a drone, "It is a letter, Mayuri-sama."

He scoffed, "I can see that! What does it say?"

She held it up and read aloud, "Dear Mayu-chan."

Megane knew when and when not to giggle. She bit her tongue to keep from laughing.

The Lieutenant continued after there was a small mutter from the Chief that was along the lines of, "What a rude unsavoury man."  
>"I have heard the news that you are going to be coming up to the real world. In any case, I insist that you come and stay with me in the meantime. There's a lot of room in my shop for you and your daughter to stay. I have kids too, perhaps they can play together. But I must warn you that if you are planning to collect data and samples and are planning to use gikons to blend in and not attract attention, you might want to look at the magazines that I've sent to know what counts as looking normal and not because you do tend to draw a lot of attention to yourself on a normal basis. That white paint of yours wouldn't be such a great idea…. Mayuri-sama, would you like me to continue?"<p>

Megane turned her attention to the Chief who was just seething a few feet away. "No, that will be enough!"

Akon took out some of the magazines, "Chief, are you going to need this for your gigais?"

The Chief was already heading towards the door, "Just bring them to my lab on level 5."

Akon then turned to Megane who was already flipping through some of the magazines, intrigued with how fashion had changed since she had last remembered of the real world. "Yo, Megane."

She looked up, "Hm?" "

Did you finish making the batch of soul candies that the Chief gave you the plans for?" She shook her head, she still had to program a few of them.

Akon took another puff of his cigarette, "Okay, when you're done that, I want you to bring these up to level 5 to the gigai labs." he handed her the bundle of magazines that he had been holding, "I have to re-modify all of the soul candies I had been working on for the other shinigami, there's been a few requests for added features to them and new personalities."

Reader, of course this trip of the Chief and the Lieutenant wouldn't take up all of the attention of the SDRI, but a mere fraction - almost an iota. There was still other work to do and the Chief felt himself more than capable planning the trip up to the real world creating both his and his Lieutenant's own gigais as he was the first best in all of the soul society at constructing them.

After a few hours of completing the soul candy that the Lieutenant had asked of her to program, Megane went upstairs to level 5 with them and the magazines. Stepping inside the lab, she was surprised to see that neither the Chief nor the Lieutenant were around. She supposed that they were probably working on something else. As she went deeper into the lab, placing the soul candies and the magazines on a noticeable counter, she felt compelled to look at the gigais that the captain had spent the last two days or so constructing.

The Lieutenant's's gigai was perfect, the work on it was admittedly better than her own. All the details were there: the long raven hair that trailed well past her waist, the pale skin, the dimensions… all that was missing was the uniform and you would have another Kurotsuchi Nemu. Eagerly, she looked at her captain's gigai. Swearing to Buddha, she had never seen what the Chief looked like without his paints and such was her surprise when she saw the dark-toned gigai of a man. Her only indication that it was the Chief's was that it was the only other gigai completed in the lab and the shock of blue hair on its head. She blushed delicately like the young(?) girl she was, for she had never known that the Chief could be a very handsome man without his face paints and the blue hair dishevelled over closed eyes(that and the fact that the gigai was physically endowed and she briefly wondered if the Chief was as big as that). Though she noticed that it was lacking ears and there were coarse scars and stitches all over it.

Suddenly, there was the buzz that someone was coming into the lab and it startled her. She ran to one of the other doors at the wall of the lab, not wanting to be caught not doing any work. As she silently closed the door behind her and was about to run downstairs(there was only one elevator and someone was apparently coming from it) when she heard the recognizable voice of the Lieutenant, murmuring, "Mayuri-sama."

Megane slowly went up a step and opened the door, peeking out with curiosity at the pair standing together in the middle of the lab. It was the Chief and the Lieutenant. Strangely enough, Megane noticed that the two of them had ash and soot on their uniforms and faces. She wondered just what had they been doing before they came up to the labs.

"Nemu." he returned. He held onto her hand, looking intently at it.

She watched how with deliberate slowness, he brought each one of the Lieutenant's fingers to his lips and kissed them. The Lieutenant was blushing furiously, though she still maintained her composure. Megane had to bite her tongue to stifle a giggle, it was just too cute! She wondered, for a second, if the Chief would kiss the Lieutenant right here in the labs. He didn't. But, oh, if only Megane had her camera with her! The Lieutenant wrapped both her hands around the Chief's, and kissed the top of his knuckles. She heard him exhale from where she hid close to the door. The Chief pulled his hand out of the Lieutenant's grip and sauntered down the line of beakers and where their gigais stood.

The Lieutenant followed close behind.

* * *

><p><strong>Thursday<strong>

She couldn't help herself but smile at the sight of the Chief and the Lieutenant from behind the edge of the wall. The open windows in his private library made everything appear all the more white, sterile. She felt a blush creeping upon her face. It was quite like something out of a shoujo manga. The Lieutenant was sitting as she always did, her back straight and knees closed together, on the olive-green sofa. The Chief's form covered the rest of the sofa, his white haori draping over the sofa. His zanpakuto still held in his white grip. Megane assumed that he was asleep, his breathing calm and loud. But then again, he could've been resting his eyes. His head was resting on her lap, her arms wrapped about him as though trying to cradle him fruitlessly. She considered sending Rin instead lest she might face the full brunt of her captain's anger and slowly backed away to call Rin to deliver the plans to the plans. Ducking away, she thought of running: embarrassed that she should've caught the Chief when he was napping on the Lieutenant's lap.

Then all of a sudden, she heard the Chief's voice, "Megane!"

She had no choice but to approach once she heard the Chief's voice and so entered the room where she had just saw him napping. She had to remain cool, he wasn't going to harm her: she was an invaluable member of the SDRI, having been there just as long as he had since its first formation under its first Chief. The setting was entirely different when she came into the room: The Lieutenant was standing by the window, The Chief was by the bookshelf holding a journal, and the couch was bare.  
>She came forward with the file holding the documents pertaining to the habitation plans, her hands extending to the Chief and a smile painted on her face.<p>

She re-briefed that they were going to be staying under their given names at W House. The arrangements were already prepared for them to arrive at that day, the memories of the landlord day already tampered with to believe that the two of them have already been living there for a few months now. Their gigais were also already up in the real world waiting for them. Some of the shinigami had already went ahead to the real world and fixed the memories of the neighbours there as well so that they wouldn't be singled out by totally blend it.  
>The Lieutenant stepped forward from the window, taking the folder and gently thanking her for bringing the documents to them. The Chief thanked her as well, though with but a wave of his hand.<p>

She nodded her head and bid them goodbye. Deep down, she felt a little disappointed. It seemed as though neither one of them wanted their love to be known.

She didn't know why: love was love.

* * *

><p><strong>Friday<strong>

Everything was virtually ready: the habitation plans and schedules were already laid out and looked over countless times, the gigais were already waiting for them with appropriate appearances at their temporary residence, and the materials for collecting data were ready as well. Their leaving was something almost of a private affair with few people seeing them off but their most trusted scientists and heads.  
>They carried no luggage, each one of them having only the clothes their gigais wore and they planned to buy more if they had up in the real world. A checklist was made and being looked over by the Lieutenant if they had forgotten anything: the instructions for the SDRI and the division, the work that was expected to be done when they got back, what materials should they have with them, the time schedule….<br>Akon was made to be in charge of the 12th division as its third seat for the one that the 12th division shinigami had elected to lead them while their Chief was gone was deemed, in the Chief's eyes, as a moron who would run everything. In Megane's opinion, he was indeed a moron, but she found him to be cheerful, optimistic and fair. But who was she to decide, as long as it wasn't her who had to take care of that lot.

Suddenly, as the Chief and the Lieutenant were about to enter the Senkaimon, Kuma(Reader, it is the scientist with bandages around his head and black circles around his eyes) stepped forward with a small gift box held in his outstretched arms. Everybody looked dumbly at the box, even Megane had no idea what was in it. Why had he given them a gift box anyway?

He mumbled almost hoarsely, "For you."

Clearly, neither one of them knew to who he was indicating to, nor were they even sure if they would even way to accept it. However the Lieutenant bowed forward slightly and took the box in her hands, thanking him for the present.

Kuma bowed forward and wobbled back in line with all the other scientists. Discreetly, she heard Rin ask Kuma just what was in the box.

"A camera." he replied, "For taking picutres."

Megane whispered thoughtfully, "I don't think they're going to be doing any sightseeing up there."

Kuma shrugged his shoulders, "You never know."

They waved goodbye to the Chief and the Lieutenant and wished them a safe trip and return with many samples and specimens in hand. The Chief urged so harshly that it made Megane wince a little at the tone, "Nemu! Hurry up!" She nodded her head obediently and followed closely after him.

Megane's smile grew broad as she noticed what the other scientists most likely hadn't: The Chief had held onto the Lieutenant's hand as they entered into the Senkaimon.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow. Some are good and some are just crap. <strong>

**The prompt was originally supposed to be called Trip. But then I thought that Excuse was better than Vacation. It matches the fanfic better: when they're supposed to do work, it seems that they're using it as an excuse to... y'know. Anyway, what did you guys think of the format?**

**If you have any suggestions or comments, please leave them in a review or send it to me in a PM.**

**Ja Ne**


	9. Inexistent

**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach.**

**Okay, so this is a continuation from Excuse. Mayuri and Nemu have now made it to the real world and are going data-collecting and also hollow-hunting, though not with exactly pure intentions. Of course, they also have their soul candy to watch over their gigais for them while they work. M is of course Mayuri's custom gikon and N is Nemu's custom gikon. **

**At first, I had tried to research Japanese names that could be symbolic for M and N, until I thought "What the hell are you thinking, Ngoc Chau? Why would Mayuri give names like these to gikons? Screw that! Just go with their first initial to make things easier!" And so came to be M and N. Who knows, they could appear in another fic sometime in the future. **

**Um.. this is more or less a filler to replace Consideration, which I had deleted. I want this to have a total of 12 prompts to go with the 'romance' of the TWELFTH division. So yeah... pretty dumb, but oh well. **

**Anyway, the point of this fanfic, as well as being a filler, is probably supposed to be analogous to the romance of Mayuri and Nemu. Mayuri and Nemu are not supposed to fall in love because of their universe's circumstances. M and N are not supposed to fall in love, much like two robots should not fall in love(I was inspired by Clamp's Chobits where Dita and Zima fell in love - the two of them were government persocoms). **

**So this is pretty bittersweet, hopefully. I don't know. I've been reading a lot of yaoi and lolicon manga(Kodomo no Jikan is pretty good) and so I've been getting into the mood of angst. **

**Enough rambling from me, please enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Thank you, M-san, for saving me." N said to her suited companion sitting next to her on the low stone wall.<p>

Their captain and lieutenant had summoned them up from their pockets to watch over the gigais as the two of them hunted after the Hollow, determined to at least take back a living souvenir from this once-in-a-century trip. M and N had left the premises and came to a more secluded area hidden by trees and dead ends. It was a quiet neighbourhood, all the inhabitants old citizens and so were frequent to stay inside and sleep the day away as much as the nights.

M, emotionless despite wearing the skin of a mad-man, replied almost forcefully as though it was more to himself that he was speaking to, "It was not my intention to save you. Kurotsuchi-taicho would have me destroyed if I simply stood by and allowed damage to any of these gigais."

N looked to M, her false green eyes focusing like camera lens on him only, "You did not have any need to hold my hand while we ran."

He returned her gaze with wide golden eyes, reflecting her image within, "I had to make sure that any part of you would not be damaged. The Hollow had been very animalistic and I could not take chances on how far its destruction to the area would extend to."

Though her face did not change, a blush grew upon her cheeks. N confessed truthfully to him. "M-san, it will surely sound impulsive to you, but I believe that I have fallen in love with you."

A blush grew on his face as well and he did not scowl. His hand gingerly rose up to brush N's face, the tips tickling the hill of her cheeks. "You are mistaken. This is not in our programming. We cannot love. Our objective is only to serve the taicho and fukutaicho."

Her hand closed over his and she moved her lips to the base of his palm, "M-san. It is hard to explain, but I know that what I feel is love. When you are close to me, my breathing becomes difficult. My limbs grow warmer in your presence. I want nothing more of each day than to have you look my way. I-"

M's thumb brushed up to her bottom lip, silencing N. His head tilted and, to N, he looked utterly helpless. "We cannot feel. Our kind does not feel anything, not like the humans or shinigami, not even like the hollows. We are different even from the fukutaicho. Her creation is an ultimate product as it has allowed her to evolve from what we are, to act outside orthodox programming for us gikons. She has a choice in her actions, in her words, in her own emotions... We, we do not have any choice; we act accordingly to what our program dictates. This cannot _be_ between us."

His hands left her. Her face tilted downwards, the black fringe coming close to the chin of the captain's gigai. Her voice was sweet and bitter all at once, a sort of melancholy that evoked pity from the listener. "Is it then impossible for the false-being to know what differentiates beasts from man, to know just what is this thing, called love?"

"Yes." M stated so matter of fact-ly. His answer sounded so absolute yet it was unbelievable.

Her head fell onto him to rest just beneath his chin. The sailor fuku made the action all the more adorable. "I have only known you for four days, M-san. And I feel that I would not like to see you hurt." she informed of him.

His breathing was oddly steady and so was hers, despite the turmoil of feelings that were spinning round and sparking in the air. "Do not say things like that." He told her, though he did not push her away. His hands remained at his sides.

"Why?" she asked, breathing into M's collarbone.

He felt shivers travel throughout him. It overwhelmed him. The SDRI did not prepare him for this and neither did his programming. What to do in such a situation, he wondered.  
>He warned her, "We would be destroyed for acting outside our program. That would mean we're malfunctioning, broken, useless…." His words trailed off as N's hands gripped the dark violet tie.<p>

"And you fear for your self-preservation?" she inquired. A breathiness was about her and her words had a sense of hope in it that she wanted to hear another answer besides the one that her programming was indicating to her. The hope that he was 'different' held out.

"Yes." he told her and she winced inwardly.

The corner of her mouth rose and then dropped. She 'humph-ed'. "How odd would it be if two beings, who should not fall in love, fall in love with another…"

He stood up and looked like he was about to pace, though his legs resisted the notion. The action had been abrupt for N who stumbled onto her hands where M had been seated. The raven braid fell over her shoulder.

"Please, do not say anymore, N-san." he begged of her, his voice both cold and caring.

She looked up at him with borrowed eyes.

This is not what N looks like, M told himself. N and I are incapable of expression. M was not M. N was not N. M was not Mayuri either as N was not Nemu either. What were M and N. How can we be what we are, M thought.

"Why not?" she asked, the parting of lips small.

He looked around as though watching out and directed his attentions to her, "Because someone could hear us."

N stood up alongside M. her hand so close to his but they did not touch. "How do you feel about me, M-san?" she asked.

He turned away his head much like in frustration and admitted to the best of his abilities, "I cannot explain what I do not know."

She moved to the front of him and pointed a long index finger to his chest. "This." It was in the general area of his heart. "Does this beat faster when I am with you?" she interviewed. Her eyes softened as she tilted her head and the tip of the digit poked him, "Would you see me destroyed for continuing this?"

He stepped back away from her and her finger recoiled to her closed hand. He earnestly told her, "It is because I do not want to see you destroyed that I tell you to not continue this, to silence yourself even if they torture you… I do not want you gone from this world. Even if I cannot love you like any other being, I would be satisfied to know that you exist."  
>M tried to conjure up a smile, he was sure he was smiling, but Reader, it would hardly be noticed.<p>

"What a terrible choice…" N said to him, stepping close to him, but keeping her hands behind her back to not touch him again and frighten him.

"We are below the hollows. Our destruction is hardly significant." he explained to her the harshness of their reality of what it meant to be an artificial being.  
>How strange was it that if another soul could walk and talk and perceive as any other soul could, it would only be deemed inferior if it had an origin that could be explained. Real souls are not created. Real souls are simply born and become.<p>

"If M-san is destroyed, then N-san will beg them to destroy her too." N told him in a childish manner.

"N-san…" he uttered, though it was not his obvious intention to say her 'name'.

"An existence without M-san is not worth having." she repeated his thought to him.

They were so close. If she stood on her toes then their lips would join and only verify their mutual affection for one another. But he would not have it, would not believe it because he wanted to live. And she would not be so cruel to him as to force it.

"Please, N-san." M begged, "Be quiet. Do not speak of this. When we return to the Soul Society, we will be put away on shelves, never likely again to meet. Do not speak of this and risk termination."

She took a step back, smiling. Her eyes almost red and puffy yet no tears were shed. "Like you had said: an existence is enough… I will not be so selfish to expect more in my own existence…"

There was suddenly a tell-tale chill that went through them and the sudden heaviness in the air from boastful spiritual pressure. They moved to some distance away from each other and looked to the source. It was Kurtosuchi Mayuri and his daughter, Kurotsuchi Nemu.

"You two didn't get into any trouble while Nemu and I were gone, did you?" he asked as his lieutenant followed closely behind him, a large tubular specimen jar cradled in her arms like a babe.  
>The jar was recognized by the two gikons to be one of the SDRI's many devices of soul-sealing. It can be said that the two of them inwardly shuddered at the sight of the poor soul swirling about in the cramped space of the jar; and their simultaneous thought was: Oh, we understand all too well.<p>

M replied to represent the two of them, "No, sir."

Mayuri looked giddily back at his prize and exclaimed that it was sheer luck that he had been able to procure a full-bring soul, what said beings had identified themselves by, and absolute euphoria to bring back to the soul society to experiment upon him. He informed the two, glowing with pride, that while he and Nemu had gone out to collect data on various spaces that the full-bring were known to occupy, they had happened by chance on a hollow attack.  
>They perhaps would've left the hollow as is, as long as the hollow did not disturb them, but when they were able to identify just what the Hollow's target was; then they felt it best for them to intervene. They had to be careful to wait for the perfect moment that the full-bring's soul would be forced out of his body and his chain of fate severed, yet not eaten by the Hollow. It had taken careful timing but they had done it. As soon as they heard the distinctive crack of the chain of fate, they rushed in to exterminate the Hollow.<br>But what was to be done for the poor full-bring? Come with us, he had told the poor whimpering soul. We come from the Soul Society as you are sadly deceased now and if you remain among the living any longer, more of the beasts that you had just seen here would devour you instantly or you might even transform into them.  
>The poor soul, young and inexperienced in life, had accepted Mayuri's hand.<br>He had not seen the jar coming towards him, could not expect that even Death might offer some dangers as Life often did. And so that was his fate now, to become a part of a great experiment in the name of science, Mayuri declared.

He was a little too happy with his 'treasure', the two gikons thought for afterwards he immediately offered them some freedom in exploring Karakura town. He and Nemu would be busy of course, organizing their finds for the day as well as preparing a specialty for the full-bring soul when they would bring it back to the Seireitei.  
>Though he was generous in his offer, he did provide a warning that if they did anything to his body that anything about him would be compromised, they both would surely be sorry and face excruciating punishment.<p>

Mayuri and Nemu walked through the brick walls surrounding the house, their entities growing smaller as though the wall was absorbing them. M and N kept their eyes upon the wall until they were sure that the two shinigami had left them both alone. M looked straight ahead. N's gaze went to both of their shoes, dusty and slightly crusted with light brown dirt.

They spoke nothing to each other, totally oblivious to what the other was thinking. Perhaps not…

The backs of their hands touched, knuckles were brushed.

And yet neither could not bring themselves to grasp the other's hand.

Some things should not even occur.

* * *

><p><strong>So what did you think? Any comments or suggestions? If so, please leave it in a review or send it in a PM.<strong>


	10. View

**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach**

**I thought it would be a good idea to have them meet, you know. I still think that Jinta and Ururu aren't human but are creations like Nemu.**

* * *

><p>Tsumugiya Ururu swept. With the broom in her hand, she had gone outside to sweep up the front of the Urahara Shop in order to have it presentable for the customers; Jinta was inside the Shop, practicing with his soccer ball by bouncing it repeatedly upon his knee. Tessai was upstairs cleaning up and he had said that once he was done, they would go out shopping to pick up their dinner.<p>

Without warning, shadows descended upon her and she was wary to know who could be its source for never had she, in a long time, felt such a presence that warned of her danger. Yet there was no danger, a voice chided her. Her slow gaze turned, following the shadows to two pairs of feet.

Black shoes, the both of them. One was a man's, the other belonged to a woman. Her attention went first to the man then to the woman. He wore a suit of street grey and a dark violet tie. She would've thought him to be a teacher until she saw the shock of blue hair upon his head and the hornet patterned earphones he sported. He looked something akin to a Yankee delinquent by the scar he had on his chin and they way his eyes glared as though roaring, "_Fuck off_!". A foreigner she presumed because of the dark complexion of his skin, not like those of the native Japanese.  
>His companion was all at once his opposite yet there was a strange resemblance that Ururu could not place or name, perhaps it was the way they stood together… The woman looked both too old and too young in the fuku uniform she wore; that her countenance was that of a person who had seen beyond her years to be a mere high school-er, then that her face appeared as similar to what Ururu saw every morning when she looked in the mirror. A long braid was swung over her shoulder.<br>Perhaps the two were delinquents as the both of them bore swords on their persons; the man held his on hand while the girl had tied hers to her back in such a manner that the hilt pointed downwards.

Ururu stood still before the pair that appeared before her. One instinct told her to run, another told her to keep still and they would possibly pass her by, another told her to fight.

Suddenly, there was the voice of her employer, Urahara Kisuke. "Mayu-chan!" he exclaimed, coming out of his shop with open arms, "It's been years!"

He would've hugged the blue-haired man if not that the blue haired man suddenly stepped back to allow his braided partner to suddenly deliver an axe kick. Said axe kick would've surely hurt the sandy-haired shop owner had he not suddenly moved back as well, the heel landing just an inch before the spot where the tip of his nose had been.

"O-ho! And this must be the Nemu-san that I've heard so much about." Kisuke laughed, not a drop of sweat or a hair out of place. "Ah, a high school girl's uniform… Naughty, naughty… Tell me, do you still read those ecchi books? Especially that series with the magical girl who skips school all the time to defeat monsters, all the while wearing a sailor suit and a pair of-"

He was interrupted by the blue haired man's, "Shut up!"

The braided girl, Nemu as Ururu now remembered, recoiled back into a standing position alongside the blue-haired man, Mayu as Ururu then dubbed.

Mayu sneered, "Don't call me by that stupid name."

"But it's so cute!" Kisuke squee-ed.

Again, he narrowly dodged a strike to his neck by Nemu and caught her wrist, twisting her arm so that she bared her back to him and bringing her to a knee. "Awww…. That's not nice, Mayu-chan. Sending your lieutenant after me? I used to be a part of the Onmitsukido's Detention Unit, remember that?"

Though his voice was silky as cream and sweet, Ururu knew that to be a discreet warning. He released Nemu who slowly ascended back to her height, but did not return to Mayu's side.

Mayu demanded a product of Kisuke that Ururu could not hear exactly nor did she even know if they carried whatever could be its closest.

Nonetheless, Kisuke proclaimed that he had a good stock of the product and would gladly sell it to him at a discount "for old times' sake".

Mayu walked past her with sure steps, waves of spiritual pressure just coming off of him, following Kisuke into their shop. Nemu remained outside, stoic even.

Ururu looked up behind her brook and directed with a ginger hand, "You… you can go inside the shop too."

Nemu looked down at her, green eyes wide and vapid, and nodded her head, "Thank you…" her words trailed off as though she was trying to find some way to name her.

"Tsumugiya Ururu." she introduced herself, fidgeting nervously with the handle of the broom in her grip.

She thanked her once more, including to mention her name and walked into the shop.

As Nemu entered, Ururu placed her broom against the front wall of the shop and followed inside. Jinta was nowhere to be seen though she had her suspicions that he had gone upstairs to complain to Tessai about the newcomers. She watched as Kisuke retrieved a box from a high shelf, the two shinigami - she knew from their mention of things affiliated with the Soul Society and the Seireite - stood waiting behind him.

"So how long are you staying here in the real world for, Mayu-chan?" Kisuke asked as he handed the box to Nemu.

Mayu answered with a sneer, "I've been here for almost a week and I'm expected to return to the Seireitei the morning after tomorrow."

There was something akin to a crack of lightening in the air that quickly disappeared. "And you waited this long to visit me?"

"This isn't a visit!" he yelled.

Kisuke was about to say something when Tessai walked downstairs with Jinta and both their eyes fell on Mayu.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri." Tessai muttered.

Mayu looked to him and grinned a face-splitting grin that caused shivers to run up and down Ururu's spine, reminding her of one night that the four of them had watched a horror movie at Jinta's request.  
>"Tsukabishi Tessai." he returned with a hint of malice and madness.<p>

Ururu felt something tingling inside of her, the instinct to fight getting stronger by the second. But it was quickly halted by Kisuke stepping in between the two men and pointing to himself, "Urahara Kisuke!"

He turned to Tessai and mentioned something about dinner. Tessai replied that he was going now to pick up dinner and asked if he should pick up extra.

"Of course!' Kisuke exclaimed as he whipped his fan out in front of his face and started fanning himself.

Tessai was heading out the door when he obviously noticed Nemu. He stopped in front of her and looked, really looked at her. He briskly held out an open hand to her as to offer to shake hands. She accepted it hesitantly. He introduced himself first by his full name and that he was an employee at the Urahara Shop.

She returned the introduction with first her name and that she was the lieutenant of the twelfth division of the Gotei 13.

Ururu was already by Tessai's and Jinta's side. Tessai looked back to Kisuke and asked if Nemu was coming along.

Kisuke turned quick to Mayu, "Why not? Our kids can play a little bit together and Tessai will be watching them."

Mayu shrugged his shoulders and looked away.

Tessai suggested to Nemu that she leave her sword behind at the shop since it would seem really suspicious for a high school-er to carry around a blade.

She looked to Mayu and not a word was exchanged between them save for looks(that were none too friendly). "Take your zanpakuto with you. I'm not going to watch it." he told her.

She nodded her head to him, offering a little bow, "Yes, Mayuri-sama."

There were more looks shared between them and hardly another word. His eyes narrowed at her while she nodded her head forward again. "And if you get into any trouble, so help me." he warned her.

It was so tiny. Barely noticeable by others who don't pay attention. But Ururu saw it as clear as the shadow of a bird atop the full moon. She saw the little turned up corner of the mouth, Nemu's mouth, as she bowed and then the locks that framed her face obscured the view. "Yes, Mayuri-sama."

They were quick to leave, readying themselves with a shopping list and some money.

Just as they were leaving, Ururu heard Kisuke ask, "Well then, shall I break out the tea or the sake?"

* * *

><p>They had gone through the markets and delis, a few of the neighbours greeted Nemu as though they had known her for quiet some time and Tessai thought it odd but did not say anything about it. Jinta had run ahead somewhere but Tessai knew that he would be alright. It was Ururu he worried more about by her meek and shy demeanour. Looking at the two of them, the way that they kept their hands locked together in front of them and gazed to the side to look through the windows, he thought them almost like sisters. They could very well pass off as sisters. In fact, he knew that Ururu's origins did not differ much from the braided young woman and so he wondered if all those who were 'not born' were always so quiet. Jinta came to mind until he reminded himself that Jinta was a boy and this effect could possibly only manifest itself in created beings of the gentler sex. What Nemu bought did not differ much from what Ururu bought, though the differences of variety between them was few. Tessai carried the larger and heavier of their buys, having to insist to Nemu that it would not be polite to make her carry heavy things(and it would be a blow on his masculinity).<p>

Shopping went by very quickly for the two of them and on their way back to the Urahara shop, they passed by a park. Quiet though she was and meticulous about working, Tessai knew how much Ururu still loved to play like a little child.

He took Ururu's bag from her and seated himself at a bench, telling her to go ahead and play while he watched. Nemu remained standing by the bench where Tessai sat. He told her too to go and play. She replied nothing, looking as though she was processing the thought. He was quick to take away her bag of groceries away from her and waving his hand off for her to play. She remained standing where she was but her hands went to the strap that attacked her zanpakuto to her back.

He told her that he would watch her zanpakuto and that she should enjoy herself.

She looked too young in a sense. And as she ran to where Ururu was, he was suddenly clouded with the thought that there was no Nemu but two Ururus. _Nemuru _and_ Urumu._ The setting sun was mixing his words around.

He observed and guarded them carefully as they played. He had seen Ururu's fighting skills before and yet to see her as she was always incited him to throw himself between her and danger, thinking that it was no place for her. Like Kisuke, he thought of Ururu as his child too.

Ururu was sitting by herself at the swings until Nemu approached her. It looked to be that Nemu was about to take a seat at the other swing until Ururu made a request of her. Nemu nodded her head and went behind Ururu, giving the girl a push. She was strong in that the swing had already reached a good height on the first push. Nemu kept her hands ready, constantly giving pushes, but it could be seen that she was carefully measuring her strength in order for the swing to continuously maintain the same height it reached or higher.  
>He saw them smile. Her smile was very small that he had almost missed it, but he had saw it.<br>Most of his attentions went to Ururu. She did not squeal or laugh out loud but her smile was more noticeable and brighter. Her face flushed and her hair flew everywhere, one of the pigtails coming looser and looser with each swing. She laughed silently, smiling brightly. Tessai felt poetic while he watched the two of them play. It was like witnessing an acceleration of blossoming flowers. Was this how gardeners felt, so proud, to see what nature could give them if they only contributed a little concern and care?

And Ururu jumped. Gracefully. From the swings and landed with a soft thud on the ground, her feet steady. Nemu watched sans emotion at Ururu, Ururu stood up, her knees unscarred. Tessai remained in his seat. Ururu pointed to the play structure. Nemu nodded and ran to the girl to go alongside with her. Ururu suddenly tripped forward and landed on her knees and hands.  
>He was about to get up when he saw that Nemu was already tending to her. Ururu stood with a shy expression on her face, doe-eyed like the child she appeared as. Nemu was on her knees before her, patting the dirt from Ururu's skirt and straightening it. She was holding both of Ururu's hands and asked her something that Tessai could not hear from where he was sitting. Ururu replied with a nod. Nemu stood up and held her hand as the two of them walked cautiously to the play structure.<br>Their play was silent. The only sounds was the creaking of the chains of the swing as the wind blew and the running of shoes against metal. Tessai was enjoying the scene and the quietude. They were playing well together.

Suddenly, there was Jinta's voice and an assortment of children. He was calling for Ururu, selfish little boy, to be the referee for them in their game. Ururu, selfish but only because she was compliant to whatever was said or asked of her, went to Jinta but not before offering an apologetic gaze to Nemu. Nemu was just as meek as Ururu and did not stop her; but went to Tessai's bench and sat down beside him at some distance.

He handed her back her zanpakuto which she did not hesitate to reattach to her back. He asked her if she had had fun playing with Ururu.

She replied that she did.

He asked her if she often played with the children of the Gotei 13 because she seemed to know how to handle children well, Ururu rarely smiled for anyone else but him and Kisuke.

Very few children joined the Gotei 13 now, though admission was for all ages, entrance to the Gotei 13 had a minimum age of a few centuries and so 'children' souls were not the norm as it must've been centuries ago. The explanation from her was obvious that she did not often play with children.

He complimented her that she would make a good mother someday if even she could have Ururu come out of her shell. And then it felt like the wrong thing to say.

"It is not possible for me." she mentioned to him.

He raised a brow at her.

She still did not look at him, but she explained herself, "My work involves me working with many chemicals and so my body has become stronger for it, but the exposure has made it unable to conceive." _And have children of my own_, he continued the thought for her.

She was younger than him, that was for sure, and her countenance had her appear even younger to him - closer in age to little Ururu. A woman who doesn't want children does not act like how she did with Ururu, only women who long for children act like that. His instincts were true in that, Reader.  
>"I'm sorry for bringing this up." he apologized.<p>

She shook her head and she did not cry, "This does not affect me as it once did before." She sighed, "As long as I have my captain by my side, I want for nothing."

He nodded his head. "That is very optimistic of you." he complimented.

Suddenly, there was a loud shout and if Tessai had not heard it before he would not have recognized the shouter. Ururu called out for Nemu and told her to come and play. Jinta added his own two cents by telling her that she has to play on the other side's team since Akane-kun had to go home.

She looked to not have expected to be invited.

Tessai tapped her on the shoulder and told her to go and play.

She said that she didn't understand the game.

He quickly explained that it was only soccer, just remember to only kick the ball and never touch it with your hands. In order to win, all you had to do was kick the ball through the opposing team's net without the person in front of the net intercepting the ball.

She nodded and was about to run to where the group of children were calling her, when Tessai reminded her of the zanpakuto that was still attached to her back. She blushed.

He offered to keep watch over it while she played and she thanked him. The zanpakuto leaned against him as he sat comfortably back and watched the children play.

Nemu and Ururu remained silent, save for the whistle that she blew.

* * *

><p>"So they said no?" Kisuke asked as he finished his sip of sake.<p>

Mayuri had long finished his own cup and leaned leisurely back against the wall. "They said no." He then ran a tan hand through his blue hair.

Kisuke asked again, surprised more by the fact that since they had said no to the Kurotsuchis, the captain of the Gotei 13 were still alive and well. Yoruichi was still an admirable spy in checking up the order of the Soul Society and the captains who control its capital. "Right to both of you, they said no?"

He raised a brow and sneered at him with an awful look, "Has living like a human turned you slow? I'm not going to repeat it again for you!"

His hands gestured forward in a manner that was usually used to incite a person to calm down. And once he saw that Mayuri was not so excited, he continued the interview, "Well, what did you do once they told you?"

He shrugged his shoulders, his pupils looking up to the ceiling, "Nothing. I went home to go to sleep."

"You didn't argue or defend yourself?" Kisuke asked, pouring himself another cup of sake. He had always thought Mayuri to be determined in everything he did. Hell, he had recalled one occasion that Mayuri had successfully drove one of the inmates in the Maggots' Nest mad simply because the inmate had looked at him funny and called him shit-face. That incident had started a string of more unfortunate accidents resulting in the inmates going mad and resorting to suicide. All this done by Kurotsuchi Mayuri by being himself(a theory of scaring his victims to death had gone around) and so he had to be imprisoned for the sake of the other prisoners.

Mayuri explained what had happened, "I gave my piece and so did Nemu." His voice went into a manner that was sarcastic and border-line mocking, "They had said that they _did not doubt our affection_, but the relationship imposed itself on _incest_."

"Incest?" Kisuke asked with a quizzical brow.

Mayuri tsked, waving his hand about as he spoke, "Dear me, Urahara. Is something wrong with you that you question instead of contribute?"

He quickly apologized. Honestly, he felt it much more interesting to listen than to throw in a word or two. Scandal in the Seireite had always been numerous, but it was rare to hear of relations between Captains and Lieutenants of the same division. Mayuri's case was all the more delicious and he only wanted to hear every single detail of it. "But… Nemu-san was made with solely your DNA, wasn't she?"

Mayuri affirmed the question. "My DNA was all that was needed. Had I been a woman, I would've needed a second contributor."

"Essentially, you're marrying your clone, yourself actually. So I would've thought that they would've allowed it of you. It's no different than what Kon does to Ichigo's body when he's not using it." Kisuke pointed out. Logic between the two scientists often coincided though the one appeared often times the saner of the two.

For the first time perhaps in the time that Kisuke and Mayuri had known each other, the latter sported an expression of vapid emptiness then it filled with shock mortification and there was a blush upon his face. "That is disgusting! I don't need to know more about what hormonal boys do when they're alone!"

He laughed out loud, his head tossing back, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! That was just an example. But, it is understandable why they might label the relationship as incest. You always introduced her as your daughter, didn't you?"  
>Everyone knew about the mad scientist of the Gotei Captains; Kurotsuchi Mayuri and his Frankenstein-like daughter, Kurotuschi Nemu. Her origins were one that was often talked about in the beginning, but it was old new to Kisuke. Ururu and Jinta were something else altogether though they lacked a zanpakuto as Nemu had.<p>

"What else could I call her?" Mayuri began, sounding like he was musing out loud more than speaking to him, "My clone? My experiment? I call her my creation enough as it is. She was my daughter before she was my creation, that was how I always thought of her. Her creation served its purpose as proof to what extent I could do with the technology of gikon and regai. But-"

"You were lonely."

His yellow eyes widened and he suddenly jumped from the wall. A fist pounded itself on the table and Kisuke was sure he heard a crack. "Did I say that? _No!_ I simply wanted someone dependable at the very least to do whatever I asked of them without a moment's hesitation. All the shinigami that the academy sends me are cowards at heart!"

His response sounded sceptical to Kisuke. He asked another question that he had always been curious about to Mayuri's choice of gender for successor. "A daughter, then?"

He sat back, though not as comfortably as he had before and Kisuke could just read his uneasiness. Mayuri's hand waved about again as he explained his reason for daughter instead of son. "You know what lab work is like: one needs to be careful and prudent. That and it be very hard to control a son. A daughter proves often to be the meeker of the sex."

Kisuke leaned on his elbows on the table, careful in case the table should suddenly snap in two from Mayuri's earlier outburst. His face was sly and his tone was humorous. "And you fell in love with her."

"_Love." _Mayuri's face became distasteful at the word and his face took on anger. "I spit on it. It's just a name used for those in denial that what they feel is just an urge to mate."

And there Kisuke was thinking that Mayuri was using his excuse as an excuse for covering up the fact that he was really a softie(How, Reader?) and that he did love his daughter - in more way than one. At that, Kisuke inwardly blushed and sought to refrain from using daughter to describe Nemu whenever he would use her in a romantic affiliation to Mayuri.  
>"Then why marry her?" he asked.<p>

Mayuri turned his head away and Kisuke was immediately reminded of some of Jinta's fits when it was obvious that he was lying. "Because it was advantageous for the both of us."

One corner of his mouth rose high and he laughed as he commented, "You are totally mad, you know."

"I know. Isn't it wonderful?" And Mayuri reached a hand across the table to the bottle to pour himself a cup of sake.

As Mayuri was taking a drink, Kisuke asked his colleague, "Hm, so what's the real reason for your visit up here? You usually visited the real world after wars and battles where there were corpses for you to play with. Had they banished you up here?"

He answered that he had only come for what was in the box. If he had not needed it, then Kisuke would not have seen him on this trip. There was a beat and a pause when Mayuri added, "Akon compromised everyone's memories of me and Nemu and the marriage."

Kisuke was surprised and offered nothing. Blinking for a few minutes, he finally said, "That's nice of him. He must really like you, Mayu-chan."

"_Nice_ was not on his mind." he informed a growl and a snarl on his teeth.

Kisuke raised a well-versed brow and his smile dimmed, "Ah, you suspect that your old assistant, Akon, was the one who told the captains of your marriage?"

Mayuri did not nod his head, but there was nothing but affirmation in his words and his voice, "That stunt he pulled with the memories cinched it for me. I knew it was him then. Out of everybody, Akon had the most to gain from my eventual ruin. Suppose I was driven to excuse myself as captain, Nemu would follow my own example and leave with me even if I had not ordered it and the SDRI would be under his control. As next in rank behind Nemu he would possibly rise to chief of the SDRI then captain of the twelfth division. Everything of my legacy would be taken by him just as I had taken yours. And I was not blind to his fondness for Nemu nor to the fact that a certain number of footage had gone missing from the surveillance room. All evidence had pointed to him and any longer I would've literally killed him."

"I find it odd for you that you didn't do anything." Kisuke repeated his thoughts verbally to Mayuri.

He tsked his colleague as his head turned to face him, a calculating gleam in his eyes. "I figure that I should just keep Nemu by my side and away from him. I would never have thought to use her as an asset to cause torment to another man, but it works. And though he is a shameless character, a bastard to even dare do such a thing to me, he is still a damn good scientist."

Kisuke suddenly turned his head to the direction from where his name was called. Tessai, Jinta, Ururu, and Nemu returned; each of them with a bag in one hand. He greeted the tall burly man, standing up to give him a pat on the shoulder, "Tessai! You're already back!"

"Well, everybody was getting hungry, so we thought that we should be getting back to make some dinner." he explained the return as he was taking the bags of groceries from Ururu and Jinta.

Kisuke laughed, "Splendid!" Then his attentions turned to Mayuri who remained sitting and Nemu who was already by his side, "Mayu-chan and Nemu-san will join us, right?"

"Wrong." he replied too matter of factly, his gaze was on his braided girl companion, "Nemu already bought dinner."

Kisuke invited him, still eager for the company of his fellow scientist of days long past, "Why don't you eat with us?"

His eyes still on Nemu, he frowned and he asked with no tact at all, "In this dingy little place?"

There was an exclamation from Tessai who was in the kitchen. "Hey!" Sizzling sounds were already being heard.

"Aww… Mayu-chan, don't be so mean." He came close to Mayuri and Nemu, respectively looking at him with angry eyes and indifferent ones. "Tessai works hard on keeping this place nice and neat. Besides, you don't remember what the earlier labs of the twelfth division were like? Worse than my humble little shop - the lights were hardly adequate and no one from the fourth ever came to clean it up - and I never once heard a complaint from you."

He narrowed his eyes and said knowingly, "I'd rather eat in the Maggots Nest."

The exiled ex-shinigami captain breathed exasperatedly, a hand to his cheek as his head tilted to the left, "It's because I keep calling you Mayu-chan, isn't it." Then he smiled and offered, "Here, you can call me Kiss-Kiss while you're here if that'll make you feel better."

"No!"

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, I ended it there because I couldn't decide how to end it. From the omake I watched earlier of the new arc of Bleach, when it showed Kisuke discussing a plan on what to do about Inaba, Mayuri freaked because he wanted to make plans and saw no reason in following Kisuke. The omake ended with Kenpachi and Byakuya glaring at each other, Komamura howling like a dog, Mayuri and Kisuke arguing about what the plan should be, and Toshiro sitting quietly and annoyed to be the only sane one there. <strong>

**So, what did you think?**


	11. Rain

**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach**

**Hello to Reader! I have amazing news! MimiStriped was kind enough to grant a request for me and she did a dA pic for my fanfic  
><strong>"Love the Way You Lie**",  
>though most of you would know it as<br>"**Prompt: Break**".  
>It's an amazing pic with Nemu in a white robe, her hair undone and Mayuri nibbling on her neck, his hand snaking through the opening of Nemu's robe. It's quite good and my heart stops whenever I look at it! I just love it and I hope Reader loves it too. Here's the link:<strong>

**http: / browse .deviantart .com / ?order = 5&q = kurotsuchi# / d3jow2q**

* * *

><p>Nemu loved to see rain.<p>

There was something calming about it; to see the sea descend upon the earth, washing everything away. Outside the window, the skies had grown grey and black, miniscule streaks of light came upon the streets and the rushing of water filled the silence throughout. She was tempted to open the window, she had pulled up a chair near the ledge to have a good seat as well as a good view, and stick her hand out just to feel the spitting of rain on her palm. But she dared not for it would only attract wind into the room and disturb the papers that were lying about. Their bags and finds had been packed away, ready for the Senkaimon that they would take tomorrow morning for their return to the Soul Society.

All that remained now was to enjoy the free time that they so rarely got from his constant drive to work and the business of balancing souls in worlds. Nemu's copy of the Seireitei Communication rested open on her lap as she had preoccupied herself with it before it started raining, and then her attention became divided for the rain outside.  
>She had heard a friend mention something about the rain: that it was perhaps the only thing in the world that could join connect the skies to the ground. She had considered snow and sleet, of the air itself. But rain was beautiful and so she liked the rain.<p>

She could smell the curry from the kitchen and the rice was waiting in the cooker. Boiled greens were cooling on the table.  
>All that was left to do was to wait for Mayuri to come back to have his dinner. Her eyes traveled briefly to the ground, hoping then that that would be the moment that she would see him walking up to the steps. The light was going away and it was getting darker that she had to turn on the light, the sunlight no longer offered adequate illumination. He had gone back to the Urahara shop. Why? He did not specify and Nemu knew better than to question him incessantly about it. If he had wanted her to know, he would've told her; otherwise it was his own business and she should stick her big nose out of it.<p>

And so she was content to wait for him, silence and rain as her company.

She recalled a fond occasion with the rain: one that had occurred a few months since her 'debut' to the rest of the shinigami of the Gotei 13. Mayuri had dressed her in white and lavender, light colours that he had an excess of and thought to put to some use. She had thanked him profusely in her own silent way, but he knew the great extent of her gratitude. There had been no report for rain, but rain had come nonetheless. Both had run for cover under some arbitrary roof of a building.  
>He had held her hand and pulled her to a dry spot. There had seemed to be no sign of stopping and so he had told her that they make a run for it back to their division. He would introduce her to the Eighth division captain another time. They had returned sopping wet to their divisions, his arm over her in an effort to keep some of the rain out of her long hair. Such a gesture had never been done again from what she could remember.<p>

She never mentioned it again to him nor did she try to dwell so much upon it in case it should embarrass him.

And suddenly, she felt his presence, a tingle in her spine that warned her that he was coming nearer. Her gaze moved from the distance of the horizon to the steps leading up to the house that they were currently staying in. She would've recognized him if not for the umbrella, yet the umbrella had given some indication to the identity of its wielder for there was the tell-tale brushstrokes that spelled out "Mayu-chan"(another detail that should be mentioned to Reader was the hearts and stars that framed the name). She appeared quickly before the door and opened it for Mayuri, who stood before the door, he had omitted his tie and the white shirt was unbuttoned casually, with an umbrella in one hand: There was no air of professionalism about him nor seriousness, but she could see the bags under his eyes and the age lines about his frowning mouth that he was exhausted and exasperated.

She welcomed him into the house quickly and took his umbrella for him. Before her, he had the appearance of his age(in a certain way, Reader) and she felt more of an admiration for remembering his centuries of experience and his status as her superior. Nemu followed after him upstairs to their part of the house that they were renting. She told him what was on the menu for dinner and he replied nothing, she took this to be a sort of approval that he would not be picky and complain about the food. He discarded his jacket on the hook and she carefully placed the umbrella in the corner. As soon as the two of them entered the room and Nemu retrieved a bowl of rice for him, there was the mad rumble of thunder and an instantaneous flash from the window. The lights suddenly went out and the rooms were all dark. Another disturbance: the landlady knocked upon the door and asked if they had lost their electricity too, so had the entire block.

Nemu answered her civilly and soon made it clear that she was not needed nor wanted.

The landlady could not have any complaints for the polite manner in which the disguised shinigami chased her away.

Reader; Mayuri stood up, the gears in his brain already working to how he would have to remedy this problem with such primitive technology and devices that the real world had to offer for humans.

Nemu did not want him troubled and so she quickly asked him if eating by candlelight would be okay just for tonight, as they would be leaving tomorrow.

He looked dumbly at her as though in surprise and shrugged his shoulders, giving his attentions to the meal that she had set up before him. He ate in silence and hazy lights as Nemu was busy in filling the darkness and obscurity with some degree of light that there would not be any unfortunate business of bumping or crashing in the dark.  
>It was very soon after that she returned to have her meal with Mayuri and the two of them ate without a word shared between them. Eating was never a time for conversation, conversation would only distract and interrupt time for eating, he had told her once when she was very young. She agreed with his idea and had stuck to it ever since. Though it did not stop her from pondering and thinking, and guessing and imagining as she ate.<p>

Oddly enough, this meal was reminding her of another shared meal that had taken place some weeks ago when she had ventured to try out Matsumoto Rangiku's steps for seduction. The seduction itself was not significant to her memory nor the dinner itself as it was as ordinary as could be for the both of them. But it was the evening and its ending that suddenly resurfaced in her mind, and left her an intense pang of discomfort.  
>Her toes fidgeted together and she bit her tongue to keep from crying out at the memory. It had been so long. That had been so long. After their marriage was discovered among the Gotei 13 and even when the miracle of everyone's memories of the event being wiped away…<br>They still had not found the time nor inclination to be come together. She continued eating her meal, ignoring the stirrings inside of her at the memory of her past desire. She had done well recently to overlook it and fill it with work as her father had always did, but the simple thought of it brought new flames to her belly. Her heart beat rapidly and she was almost sure that her blood was flushing across her cheeks in a most unwanted manner.

She tried to think of metal and cloth, of scalpels and blood. She thought of the corpses of test experiments that would be waiting for her when she returned to the Soul Society. Ice, potions, and chemicals came to mind and it did nothing to stifle her, but made her long for him and his body all the more. She looked across the small table to him. His golden eyes flicked up at her from the glass he was currently taking a sip from. She wondered if he had heard her, had known what she was thinking. She held on to the hopelessness that perhaps he had been too absorbed in his meal to bother acknowledging what she had been thinking about.

He placed his drink down upon the table and beckoned her to him with an utter of her name, "Nemu."

Obediently, she abandoned meal and utensils, and approached him. She fell to her knees as his side. He looked at her with those wide golden eyes that probed and searched and dilated whenever sparked with interest. She felt it from him, he wanted it too though surely not as badly as she did, no he did not…  
>Her white hands made the first move, placing them over his darkened hand. She kissed his knuckles, then turned his hand over to place deep kisses from the base of his middle finger to his wrist where the blue veins bulged. She felt his pulse quicken just like hers. Releasing his hand, she bowed low on her hands and knees, kissing his feet. Her hands gripped his heel, her lips moved higher to his shin.<br>Bolder, her fingers slinked up under his pants to the back of his knee; her lips made contact to the spot borderline knee and thigh. His flesh was evermore cold under her touch and she felt him quiver. The higher her hands and digits reached under his pants, the closer her lips and kisses got to _there_. Her hands had ceased when it reached a few inches of his inner thigh, the flesh smooth and supple under her tips; her lips had just placed a deep breathy kiss atop the high of his thigh, close to what she hoped would enter inside her finally after so long and after so much sadness and hurt. His hips jumped and collided with her nose but she made no complaint. Her fingers dug into his leg, she rose up higher to place kisses upon his stomach, then his solar plexus, chest…

Her hands had slunk out from beneath his pants as she came closer to level with him, her mouth now on a patch of skin that the unbuttoning of the first two buttons of his white shirt had revealed to her. She sucked upon the skin; from an obscure portion of her vision, she saw him tilt his head back. His hands were on her, one dug into her shoulder while the other gripped her rear. She heard a raspy gasp from him. Finally, her lips made it to his jaw line, chin… She placed a gentle kiss on his lips, sucking slightly on the bottom lip.  
>But the kiss was gratefully interrupted as his lower hand pushed her up higher on his body and his tongue dove into her mouth. She welcomed it and allowed it free exploration.<p>

Her knees moved and adjusted to spread and place themselves on both sides of his hips. The pleated skirt she was wearing draped over his thighs and a portion of her soles. Caught up in the moment, she would not discriminate against an amatory tryst in a chair at the dinner table(It would not be the first time, Reader).

He separated their kiss to growl against her cheek, close by her ear, "Not here."

She obeyed immediately and removed herself from his lap, not bothering to straighten the fuku outfit she still sported. The two of them made their way into his bedroom upstairs of the house where for the past week they had been staying in the real world, he was kept company only with his insomnia and a drive to work and read. The bed had been untouched by her.

She thought that he would want to be inside her quick and attempted to peel away the skirt and shed the blouse over her head, but he had stopped her instead and forced her to a position on the side of the bed. Her legs dangled off of the edge while the rest of her was supported by the surface of the bed, lying back.

She tossed her head about on the bed, her fists closing on themselves, as he teased her; his tongue tracing circles on her flat tummy and around the dip of her navel. Her toes curled and gripped between them the fabric of the dark stockings she wore with the fuku uniform. She gasped out his name, "Mayuri-sama." And she begged him with a repetition of, "Please, oh please…"

He did not tell her to be quiet, his mouth and tongue already too busy with sucking on the sensitive skin of her stomach. His large hands rubbed upwards from her heel to her hip under her skirt, she wished that the stockings were gone altogether so that she could have felt his palm on her, the cold of him on her flesh. His hands tugged the panties down her hips and slid them down her legs, they were laid forgotten on the floor once her toes exited the openings.  
>His tongue, long and rather beast-like, slunk out of his mouth and moistened his lips and sides of his face. She shivered at the sight of it for it brought her discomfort, however she would not voice it and instead wait to appreciate what said tongue could be capable with its length and strength as demonstrated whenever he spoke and commanded. She could almost expect what was going to happen next and it did.<p>

His tongue worked wonders on her as his fingers had always been known to. Her head went dizzy with it, eyes crossing and barely able to compose herself. She gasped loudly, screamed just how he liked it. His fingers clawed into her as his mouth had its way with her flower and she would've wrapped her long covered legs around him if not for his elbows that pinned her knees flat apart.  
>Her back arched forward, her mouth a round <em>O<em> and such sounds escaping through her mouth. She shook and felt her heart close to bursting out of her ribcage(she would know, Reader). Her hands tangled themselves in her own hair, loosening the braid from its proper state as well as messing up the locks. Her chest was pulled to the ceiling, a reversal of gravity to her body, as her head and hands and elbows desperately tried to support each other. Her back left the bed completely. She felt his tongue flick across the petals of her and his mouth suck at the little bud as though it was a piece of candy. It was virtually indescribable to recall what she felt like under his mouth, what he was capable of doing with that talented tongue and lips that had received an unexpected benefit from countless modifications done to himself and centuries of screaming at his subordinates and underlings.

She shrieked loud for him as she shook and pleasure struck at her like a whip. Lightening struck right at the pinnacle of her scream and thunder growled as her body shook. She slowly settled back upon the bed, her legs dead and limp. She did not breathe heavily, yet her chest heaved with each silent inhale. Her face flushed red as though she had gone without air. He settled between her legs, coming level with her face to face. She locked gaze with him, green eyes growing tipsy and overpowered by golden ones. He broke contact as he eyed her rising chest.

He need not have said it and he knew it.

From the way his licentious eyes looked at her and how his hands brushed against her exposed legs and hips indicated what he wanted of her next. She moved away from him, seating herself on the bed and she proceeded to rid herself of her garments and all fabric that would separate the two of them. He had seated himself on the edge of the bed and quickly divested himself as well. She was fair in keeping up with him.  
>As she unclipped the bra she wore and cautiously let it drop over the footboard of the bed, her eyes went to Mayuri's back.<p>

Scars decorated his skin as markings of the macabre and they were proof that she was indeed in love with a mad man and sadistic psycho. And she could've cared any less; he was who he was and she was as he had created her. There were hundreds of reasons to fear him yet she found them weak and unstable compared to the facts that he had made her from nothing and had kept her close by his side.

He was as bare as she was, as he turned around to her and she knew from him that he wanted her.

Gingerly, she went to him and crawled atop his lap. Her hand gripped the headboard as she settled on top of him. Her legs were bent and her knees reached into his pits, her feet were planted firmly behind him. She was secured to him by his arms that closed around her like death's grip and his hands were grapples that were sure that she would not fall or escape him. She felt _it _bump against her and rest upon her pelvis. His grin was wide and cunning, dividing his face in two.  
>He was thoroughly enjoying her fluster at having it be in want of her and he would not yet allow her satisfaction. She whimpered and he laughed into her neck as his head bowed over. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and throat, the little cat fingers brushing by his rubbery scars that simply refused to go away as he was constantly opening them for internal repairs and modifications. She leaned her head on him and moaned his name, she rubbed her chest against his own.<p>

He practically grunted her name, the mention of it made her heart skip two beats. His arms loosened their hold on her and she felt herself rising, their hips involuntarily bumped against each others. She let out a shuddering cry as she felt him enter her and her cry became all the more breathy when she sunk down on his length. Her head tossed backwards and her arms tightened their grip on his, she frantically moved her hips forward. Hungry only for him after an absence of so long.

She was met with a discomforting pain as she moved and could not understand why it should hurt so. He on the other hand appeared to be enjoying this for he could not contain himself - for surely he had felt as desperate as her the past couple of months with his teasing and mutual denial of each other - and moaned as they copulated together. She regarded his face, noticing that his eyes had rolled back and his mouth remained agape.  
>Thankfully, he had noticed something about her own enthusiasm counter usual reactions and his movements slowed as he sucked upon her neck and his hands had manoeuvred themselves well enough to still wrap the arms about her but reach and fondle her breasts. She chewed on her lips and she was grateful to him. The discomfort was quickly gone and replaced with sensuality and an acute ache that begged to be tended to. And tended to, it was, by both partners' ardent charging.<p>

Their hips grinded against each others'. As like a broken record, she repeated his name over and over again through pursed mouth and bruised lips from his brutal kisses that he administered each time one of their hips moved in a certain way that pleased him the most.

One arm had remained as it was: wrapped around her hips and gripping tighter her rear whenever his hips would suddenly jump from his seat to come at her. The other hand had made its way to her hair, tangling in its messy mound, and pulling it back to have better access to her neck and collar. He kissed it and left love bites which further excited her and welled tears in her eyes that she could not control to cease it. The coupling was not what touched her, it was the fulfillment she felt for finally being with the man she so admired and worshipped. She cried for the pleasure of it all and for the fact that he was in her arms and there with her.

Their thoughts melted with each others', a medley of want and need and - dare I say, Reader - adoration from both parties.  
><em>Please! A little longer! Keep going! More! Oh yes! I've wanted this for so long! Could you imagine how much I thought I would die without you? I was so scared to lose you! I'm always here. I've wanted you! Please! Tell me that you like this! Yes! Yes! Yes! I want to be good to you! It hurts! Move it lower here! Closer! Come closer! Lean back! You are so good! So warm! Yes! Yes yes yes! Don't stop! Take me! Bite it! Ah, it feels so good! Turn. There… there… ah, so close! Here, do it like this. Yes, higher. Deeper… Don't be so afraid! Come into me, yes, just like that… put your hand there. Ooh… OH! Where did you learn that? Please! Hold me! I don't care, but please hold me close! Listen. What? Can you hear it? It's fast. Faster. Touch me here. Oh! Oh! Harder! Yes. Like that? Close it tighter! Nnow! Tell me that you like this. Tell me what you want. What a good girl, good girl...<em>

As he held her on his lap and she straddled him, their foreheads touched each others. Their breaths mingled, noses crossed. The fringe of her dark hair mixed with his shocking blue. He grunted her name as his hands continuously moved her to a time he found pleasurable. Her hands wound themselves in his hair, carefully cradling his head as their enthusiastic thrusts continued. She shut her eyes tight, overcome with contentment and ecstatic, and her breaths came out ragged, open-mouthed. His lips quickly assailed hers. Their mouths slipped away, moist, and their cheeks moulded against each others'.

Their moves became more erratic and impassioned. He bit her shoulder and she felt the pain acutely. Her nails dug into him, careful not to open any of the old and new scars.  
>She felt him release inside her, cold just like he always was. He had gone still then trembled violently. He held her to him, his guiding had stopped and she heard him breathe heavily on the spot between her collar and her shoulder. His breath was a ghost on her sticky flesh. Her body was still experiencing jolts, it was virtually futile to stop it.<br>Her completion did not come but was compensated just by the fact that he had held her close to him, tighter. That was to say, she was not unsatisfied nor did she feel lacking at all. A dull longing pain, sensual in a way, was left when he had finished but she did not mind it for he had not cast her out of his arms once he had what he had wanted. Instead, he had kept her in his large hands, dark and scarred as the rest of him.  
>She kissed his lids, the tip of his nose, his cheeks, and chin.<p>

With easeful and swift manoeuvring, he had turned the both of them so that both of them were laid out awkwardly on the length of the bed. She felt the absence of him when he slipped out to be something akin to heartbreaking; it was then that she remembered that this was now and not before, that there was nothing to interrupt them when they were far away in the real world. She tried to hold him, keep this fleeting moment and dream nearer to her for all she could.  
>He kicked his legs, both of them moving downwards on the bed, and then they were comfortable, save that one of them - she could not tell - was laying atop her hair and was making it difficult for her to turn. He trapped her, caged her with his body. They faced in the same direction, towards the window that overlooked the side of the bed. She acknowledged that the rain outside was still not letting up and she conjured up a brief disappearing smile at the sight of blue and black and white.<p>

Nemu allowed herself the luxury of a deep breath, heavy inhale followed by a contented exhale. She had wanted to turn her body to hold Mayuri in her arms, but his hold on her had her immobilized in his grip. His face buried itself in her shapely shoulder: cheek on the blade, nose on the edge. Her back was to his front, she felt the clock-like tick of his heart on her spine. Her hands were sandwiched and pressed between her cheek and the overly sized pillow that the landlady had supposedly supplied. Her hip was raised and supported by his left arm under her, the other arm was draped over her form and the hand of it cupping and fondling her breast. Their legs tangled and wrapped around each other that it greatly resembled four snakes mating. Though she would've very much liked to pull the sheets over them, especially to keep her father warm. She could not move nor did she have the heart to do anything but lie there and hope he was receiving warmth from her body. She moved her right arm to drape back over her father and pressed her palm to his back. His hold on her became tighter and closer.

I love you, was what should be said in such situations and places. But she could not utter the words for the 'love' of him. He hated incorrect labelling. Another of her hand moved from its place between her cheek and the pillow. It touched his slow one that was on her breast. She sensed him falling asleep.

She muttered out loud, half unaware that her thoughts were being repeated by mouth, "Mayuri-sama… I…" a beat here, a pause for some unknown word that did not exist for what was shared between them; what was not love, but just as strong if not more than love, "…you."

His lips brushed her shoulder, inciting shivers on that spot there; he kissed the flesh fully and deeply.

There was his light snoring that filled the room.

Her near silent breathing.

The pitter-patter of falling water.

Outside, the rain continued falling.

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><p><strong>How was it? Was it IC enough? What did you think?<strong>

**If you have any suggestions or comments, please leave it in a review or send it in a PM!**

**So, there's only one more prompt left before this string is done.**

**For the next string, do you want to read about Nemu getting pregnant or Nemu taking care of Mayuri's son? Both are AT.**


	12. Not PerFect is GoOd

**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach**

**So, this is a conclusion to the romance of Mayuri and nemu. they will never get married in this universe. Never. It's just not possible, but that doesn't stop them from being together. They defy decorum and morals only for what they see as 'functional'. Their life is not romantic and perfect, even for fanfiction, but they accept that and will try to make the best of it themselves and 'go with the flow'. OMG! How did I get wound up in the crack-y romance! I used to ship Nemu/Uryu, but not anymore! I don't like them like that anymore! Oh, god I'm tired. It's about midnight, but I just wanted to get this up to start on the new string for tomorrow. It should be up on Monday or Tuesday or so. Wednesday at the very latest. **

**Well. read and review, please.**

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><p>Nemu regarded with secret delight to how Mayuri tended to his yawn: flapping hand in front of his mouth, as though trying to repel it back into his body.<p>

The pills he had taken, which she had given to him, had yet to rejuvenate him. She had exhausted him earlier but he was, at least, not so tense. A flush painted her cheeks as she sat in front of her vanity, her head bowed slightly with hands on her lap, her nerves inside her legs still trembled from the amorous tryst few minutes prior. He, on the other hand, showed no indications of ever having gone through such an experience; except a tiredness that was disappearing by the second. Though knowing him so well, Nemu knew what fatigue could incite in his belly and brain that hardly anyone would ever suspect Mayuri having the energy for. He was sitting on the bench of her vanity alongside her, though their faced opposite directions: the mirror reflected her face, for him it was his back. They had sat in this fashion very long ago, though this occasion had no hostility between them on her part.

Both were neat in appearance and no one would've suspected what had occurred behind closed doors involving the first and second seats of the twelfth division.

Nemu had undone her braid, letting it cascade freely down her back and shoulders. Albeit he had not vocally voiced the desire to see her long hair undone. Mayuri ran his painted hands through her long Godiva-like hair, it was miraculous that the white paint that he always applied onto his skin did not transfer to the dark raven locks. He retrieved a brush from her and moved its teeth through the hair, his digits following suit.  
>She gave a small secretive smile more for herself than for him, she enjoyed the gentle pull he could perform on her hair. She heard him breathe into the locks, barely felt it, but heard it acutely. His painted lips reached her skin and it excited a shiver in her, she did not try to hide it away from him; they were alone after all, and privacy was a luxury enjoyed by the two of them. A hand of his stroked her bare thigh upwards. Then the long claw on his right hand found its destination at the base of her neck where her choker wrapped round and round like a ring.<p>

He traced the thin line of skin beneath the edge of it and she turned her face towards him. Her lips pursed, hoping that he would grant her a small kiss. He did not, for he moved away from her. The claw moved deliciously along the skin, remaining close to her as he left his seat to stand behind her. He buried his face into the top of her head, his arms wrapped around her neck, and his hands touched her chest. She arched her back in order for him to grasp more of them. His hands slunk away, still remaining contact on her until they buried themselves in the vines of her hair. He loved her hair, that she knew very well. She remembered in early days, he would tell her that her hair was the most difficult to create: the sheen of it, the follicles, the very length of it was taxing when he could've made it short or left her bald… He would cover his face in the fine strands of it, drown himself in the scent of her shampoo, and touch it as though it were the strings of a grand instrument. It was not habitual for him to braid her hair, such an action was the closest thing to intimacy(the sex did not count, Reader. How? I do not know) and affection that she would receive from him - that would not end with hot sticky skin and a mess between the legs. He braided it whenever he was not busy and he was feeling generous and rather fonder of her than usual.

And so after a good lengthy time of indulging himself in her hair and brushing at it and combing with his fingers and teeth, he divided it in three to braid it as the usual facon Nemu had quickly adopted once the style had been introduced to her by one Unohana Retsu. Two locks had been left untied to better feminize her face and he did like the reminder of long hair.

Could he hear her now? Though insignificant her thoughts may be? She was obediently still for him to twist and twine the hair and as he did so, she could not help but think about how strange their lives had been, are, and were going to be. He had created her, used his own blood as a basis for her body in that she would essentially sustain anything he could, making her less of a liability to him as others would be instant victims to his poisons. She in turn had strived to do everything she could to please him, to earn her the privilege to exist beside him. Then from creator and creation, father and daughter, she had achieved the closest in terms to him: captain and lieutenant. Still the father and daughter relation prevailed, even when they had become lovers. But what rose above all was that they were scientists, existing for a whole other purpose to push further the boundaries that their work currently offered and prepare it for the minds of the next generation who would surely bring new ideas and perspectives. How odd life and death could be sometimes.

Her head had grown dizzy with thought though she was still conscious enough to know that he had left her and was already heading out to the door.

He snapped harshly at her, "Nemu! Enough Dawdling! There's work to be done."

She did not argue with him nor did she think of something witty to say that might make him look foolish and childish. She nodded, "Yes, Mayuri-sama." and followed after him like a dog to its master.

No one knew a thing of it, suspicions barely rose and when they did, said source of verbal suspicion would disappear. The older scientists who had been there since the early commensuration of the SDRI knew how that its second chief was not so easy going nor laid back, and so they knew better than to talk freely than some of the other ignorant shinigami who were no better to the brains and upper seats of the division and the SDRI organization as cannon fodder.

The lab doors opened with a slow-motion swing, its hinges had been oiled and treated to almost-perfection that whenever it opened, there would be no noise to disturb the researchers during their experimentation. His white haori billowed behind him as he entered, everyone fell silent and cautiously looked up to acknowledge their captain. Older scientists, again, knew etiquette and so they raised a hand to greet him. Though the fact that they were all on amicable terms with the frightening man and his daughter would probably be a factor as well why they were more at ease to not look up from their work than some of the young and much younger underlings.  
>They all bowed to him, greeting him and welcoming him into Lab 9. He nodded his head to them but did not voice his own response. He passed by the shaking lot to go into one of his offices that had been set up in that particular lab, Nemu trailed behind him: serving to greet some of the shinigami for Mayuri.<p>

He entered his office and she felt his disheartening that there was nothing new to really dissect unless he felt like pulling out one of the old cadavers, pulling it apart to just see the sight of blood and open guts. Nemu was silently hoping that he would not be too displeased with her throughout the day and decide to take her apart again. She bit her tongue as a self-punishment for thinking that and possibly giving him the idea. He said nothing and already went to his computer and opened up the online reports that were updated to past and current experiments that were being undertaken once more or newly. There was paperwork delivered and left on his desk and surely there would be some on her desk outside.  
>He need not have asked her, for she was already quick in taking his pile of forms and papers in her arms to go away and leave him in peace. She would fill them all out for him to the best of her capabilities. Luckily, filling out the forms on behalf of her captain made her feel glad to know that she was helping, albeit in some small way of lessening the burden of this nuisance, and it was not so difficult to fill out the forms for she had been present for each of the occasions.<p>

All the meanwhile, the shinigami would come to her or Akon to inquire about their work; Mayuri was a man who was not so quick to give up his time for mere subordinates and so it was often considered a privilege to receive any of his time. The Lieutenant and the Head Scientist were good substitutes for the Chief who ruled the organization and his division with an iron fist. Of course, both were not difficult to work with and did not refuse many offers because the shinigami of the SDRI proved most of the time to be a studious lot who sometimes delighted the senior and higher ranked officers and scientists. When there were no questions to be asked, Akon went about with filling out surveillance reports as usual while Nemu was left with filling out mere reports that covered a great variety of things: hollow huntings, hollow collecting, new equipment that had been destroyed and would have to be replaced, new results of the inventions used in order to protect humans from hollows, etc… The work was abundant and it was not uncommon for father and daughter to spend days apart, seldom was that they would have spare time in a day. But she could not complain for she found no reason to complain.  
>He was not gone in some unknown place nor was he dead, she worked at ease to know that he was just working at his computer beyond the red set of doors. And his anger had not risen once at all that day and that was another thing to be glad for: less chance of a beating. He was not a bad man, cruel in a way and sadistic, but he was not bad. His anger just got the better of him sometimes and she knew from the empathy they shared that it was difficult to control it. If it had not been for the various drugs that he often administered in her food, she would not be too different from him when he became angry. Pity that the side effects of the drugs was a slight occasional dizziness. And he could not afford dizziness in his line of work. But she was nonetheless happy to be of any use of him in every way and any way; she did not want him to worry about anything.<p>

It was very late in the evening, close to the next early morning, that she finished his paperwork first then hers. Simultaneously, she brought the two piles to his office for him to simply read over and sign his approval. His back was facing her, the computer screen glowed blue and white in the dimness of the office. His keys were constantly clacking with hardly any signs of stopping.

She greeted him by name, "Mayuri-sama."

He did not turn around to face her but continued working, sans a single word addressed to her.

She walked over to his desk and laid the papers on top, ready to be signed. Before stepping out of the office, she inquired him if he would be needing anything.

He remained silent and she took it to be negative. However, she thought to bring him some tea and pills to help him stay awake and avoid exhaustion for just a little bit longer.

Back in the labs, a newbie scientist had approached her to show her a strange reading he had gotten on the monitors regarding the spiritual pressure. She called for Akon; she was ready to authorize the orders, but what was to occur when met with matters of spiritual pressure was more up Akon's alley than Nemu's. The solution was not so simple to send shinigami to take care of it. Monitors would be sent above to investigate, teams would have to go in order to clean up messes and memories, as well as capture the cause of the disturbance alive. The reading of the spiritual pressure was not necessarily dangerous, but the amount of it would prove interesting. He called for the package E-126.  
>Nemu authorized the deployment of the package and already a group from the ninth division was demanded. The ordeal was something but it was not necessarily frustrating.<p>

Just as she left and asked everyone to resume working, she passed by the clock that marked the middle of the afternoon. He had been working since very early and she thought that by now, she should bring him tea and pills.

Upon entering his office with said items, she saw that he had moved from his computer to a more simplistic desk that offered more room to do paperwork, but its surface was covered with a layer of rough notes. It was difficult to tell them apart, but she would not un/intentionally mock her creator and question the state of the desk. She served him his tea and he only acknowledged her presence there when she placed the steaming cup.

He drank without thanking her. But she did not mind. She stood waiting, as he sat and drank up pill-filled tea, for him to finish to take it away and not have it disturb his work.

Suddenly, she noticed his golden eyes moving up her body and stopped at a certain spot. But Nemu sensed no lust from him. She stayed motionless, save for tilting her head slightly forward so that she might investigate what had caught his attentions. She realized then what he had regarded.  
>Unconsciously, her fingers had found their way to the choker about her neck and she was rubbing it between her tips. His golden gaze caught her and it was wide and not at all menacing in its glare. She looked to him and let go of the choker.<p>

The space between them grew suddenly awkward, infinite as though if she reached for him now, she would never touch him.

The corners of the mouth were subtle and they moved smoothly. He flashed her a wide maniac's grin of square yellow teeth. She smiled back in her own way and composed herself, burying the most of her emotions for the sake of her creator and their work. His smile disappeared and seriousness took over. She stood obediently by his side for a moment as he proceeded with his work, then she left to perform the usual occupations and duties as lieutenant.

Their life was far from perfect, falling pathetically short of it. Anybody else would gladly exchange for better means and opportunities. She who was always his puppet to use as he please. He who was frowned and looked upon in disgust, called mad. The blood that flowed between their veins and were shared by them tied each of them closer and closer, yet divided them. Space and time was not enough, but the circumstances of their lives and origins had to interfere with their fates as well.  
>Theirs was a fate tangled and knotted up and tied, yet unbreakable and forevermore connected. She should not have been born, she should not have been there next to him. But he had crossed that line and brought her into existence, kept her and raised her as his daughter. And she was thankful to him, grateful on the verge that she should love a madman who would not hesitate to kill her if his anger would get the better of her. Their lives were far from perfect, many things could be called for and many things could go wrong.<p>

But he knew this one fact and she had to agree with him silently: perfection, even as a state of being, was a thing to be loathed. Perfection brought a halt to progression, nothing short of practically saying, "I give up." It offered no satisfaction, no chance to continue, simply the end. How dull, she could practically hear him think whenever the topic of perfection was brought up.

What they had was assuredly not enough for them as scientists, as researchers who should pursue the new and strange and bold, as who they were.

And the rest of their existences would be spent fruitfully at the SDRI, the Gotei 13, Seretei, the Soul Society, perhaps even beyond into the Real world… finding and reaching for the substances that would make and mark their time as people of science torturous and worthwhile… _together._

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><p><strong>... I hate writing what they do in their work. It's boring and I have no idea. But I do like writing romance and interactions between the scientists, and I like writing out motives and thoughts. Science work is just dull as ever and so I'm worry if it's a bit crappy to read.<strong>

**So... any comments or suggestions?**


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